The Spirit of the Summit (1894). Frederic Leighton (British, 1830-1896). Oil on canvas. Auckland Art Gallery.

    Leighton’s model for Spirit of the Summit was the well-known actress Dorothy Dene, while the mountain setting was based on studies that Leighton made at Zermatt in Switzerland in autumn 1893. A similar work, Solitude (1890) shows a draped figure in a pose of wistful contemplation, whereas Spirit of the Summit has been described as symbolising the purity of the human spirit, refined of everything gross and material, reaching out beyond itself for eternity. The over-riding sensation, however, is one of Wagnerian isolation.

    𝑦𝑒𝑎𝑟𝑛𝑖𝑛𝑔 𝑓𝑜𝑟 𝑠𝑜𝑚𝑒𝑜𝑛𝑒 𝑤ℎ𝑜 𝑐𝑜𝑢𝑙𝑑 𝑡𝑎𝑙𝑘 𝑎𝑏𝑜𝑢𝑡 𝑎𝑟𝑡, 𝑙𝑖𝑡𝑒𝑟𝑎𝑡𝑢𝑟𝑒, 𝑡ℎ𝑒 ℎ𝑖𝑠𝑡𝑜𝑟𝑦 𝑜𝑓 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑚𝑜𝑠𝑡 𝑐𝑜𝑚𝑚𝑜𝑛 𝑡ℎ𝑖𝑛𝑔𝑠, 𝑡ℎ𝑖𝑛𝑔𝑠 𝑡ℎ𝑎𝑡 𝑚𝑒𝑎𝑛 𝑠𝑜𝑚𝑒𝑡ℎ𝑖𝑛𝑔 𝑟𝑒𝑎𝑙; 𝑙𝑜𝑜𝑘𝑖𝑛𝑔 𝑓𝑜𝑟 𝑠𝑜𝑚𝑒𝑜𝑛𝑒 𝑤ℎ𝑜 𝑡𝑎𝑙𝑘𝑠 𝑎𝑛𝑑 𝑙𝑖𝑠𝑡𝑒𝑛𝑠 𝑎𝑛𝑑 𝑛𝑜𝑡 𝑗𝑢𝑠𝑡 𝑟𝑒𝑠𝑝𝑜𝑛𝑑𝑠, 𝑠𝑜𝑚𝑒𝑜𝑛𝑒 𝑤ℎ𝑜 𝑑𝑜𝑒𝑠 𝑎𝑙𝑙 𝑜𝑓 𝑡ℎ𝑖𝑠 𝑤𝑖𝑡ℎ𝑜𝑢𝑡 𝑏𝑒𝑙𝑖𝑡𝑡𝑙𝑖𝑛𝑔 𝑚𝑒, 𝑤𝑖𝑡ℎ𝑜𝑢𝑡 𝑚𝑒 ℎ𝑎𝑣𝑖𝑛𝑔 𝑡𝑜 𝑎𝑠𝑘 𝑓𝑜𝑟 𝑖𝑡