Frederic Leighton, Flaming June, 1895, Museo de Arte de Ponce, Puerto Rico

Lord Leighton’s Flaming June, now on view at the Meadows Museum, is heralded as a masterpiece of Victorian painting. Yet, its path to recognition was far from straightforward. Created in 1895, during the twilight of the Victorian era, the painting quickly fell into obscurity. By the mid-20th century, it had vanished from public view—until its astonishing rediscovery in 1964, hidden behind a fireplace in a Clapham house set for demolition. Through a most unexpected sequence of events, the painting’s fame was rekindled, and today it is a highlight of the collection of the Museo de Arte de Ponce, Puerto Rico, known as the “Mona Lisa of the Southern Hemisphere.” Join Patrick Monahan—advisor to the Museo de Arte de Ponce, and contributor to Country Life and Vanity Fair—as he unravels the extraordinary transatlantic journey of this iconic painting, from forgotten relic to one of the world’s most beloved artworks.

Patrick Monahan is a writer and independent art advisor, specializing in British paintings, drawings, and sculpture from the eighteenth century to the present. A native New Yorker, he is consulted by collectors and museums on both sides of the Atlantic, including the Museo de Arte de Ponce, Puerto Rico. His written work appears in Country Life and Vanity Fair, as well as in the exhibition catalogue “Flaming June: the making of an icon,” Leighton House, London, 2016. He holds an M.Phil. from the University of Cambridge as well as a BA from the University of Chicago, both in art history. He lives and works in New York City, with regular visits to London.

Location: Meadows Museum at SMU

In-Person: 6:00pm (CT), Lecture will be followed by a reception
Tickets: Free to ROF and Meadows Members; $15 for non-members