Drawing

1856

Meets the poet Henry William Greville

In Florence in 1856 Leighton met the poet Henry William Greville; theirs was an intense, romantically tinged relationship: the older man showered Leighton with letters, but his affection seems not to have been reciprocated. Leighton never married.

1857

A trip to Algeria starts his passion for the East

In 1857 Leighton made his first trip outside Europe, to Algeria. The journey started his fascination with Eastern culture, whose motifs he would often use in his paintings; later he visited Syria, Egypt and Turkey.

1859

London: the Prince of Wales buys his picture

By 1859 Leighton was in London (by other accounts he moved there in 1860), where he associated with the Pre-Raphaelites. That same year the Prince of Wales bought one of his pictures and became the artist’s patron and loyal friend.

5 October 1860

Joins the Artists Rifles

On 5 October 1860 Leighton enrolled with the first group to join the 38th Middlesex (Artists’) Rifle Volunteer Corps (by other accounts in 1859), and within a few months he was given command of a company.