I have to be honest and say that with my ever-changing moods and opinions I do not have an "all time" favorite painting, however Flaming June by Fredrick Leighton is a painting that has always been memorable to me. What first captivates me about the painting is the beauty of the woman and the color or the dress. I appreciate the painting because it makes me feel as though the painter found such beauty in this particular woman and portrayed her as beautiful. As far as the color goes, there are many warm shades in this picture, the main one being orange, which is such a bright and lovely color. There are not too many highly contrasting colors in the painting, with mostly browns, tans, and oranges. There is a bit of blue and green in the painting but it is tied in with a mixture of warm colors within these small spots of contrast. The color scheme gives the painting a warm and inviting feeling. It makes me think about a late summer afternoon nap. Another strong aspect of the painting is the use of line. There are many horizontal lines. Even though there are many horizontal lines that can be made out in the painting there is great use of depth so it does not hinder the appearance of the painting to be three-dimensional. It gives a relaxed feeling to me personally. Interestingly there are three distinct sections that can be divided by the three main horizontal lines. The woman takes up about 2/3rds of the painting, which is a suggestion of proportion in artwork. I think another reason why the painting works so well with the horizontal lines is the movement in the folds of the dress and the sheet or whatever it may be that she is lying on. The composition of the piece makes it strong as well. It is quite simple when you think about this painting in the context of its composition. The woman is basically in the center of the painting taking up about two –thirds of the painting. The plant as well as the pole-like object, that is leaning behind the plant in the upper right hand corner adds a nice balance and makes the painting more interesting and aesthetically pleasing. I really enjoy this painting and think it expresses the beauty of a sleeping woman in her gorgeous dress.
