io's time. But you
see by what precision of terminal outline he at first restrained, and
exalted, his gift of beautiful _vaghezza_." The _Lemon Tree_ study, let
us add, was drawn at Capri in the spring of 1859. Here, and elsewhere in
the South of Europe, whither the artist returned, escaping from London
at every opportunity, many other notable studies and drawings were made
during this period. Some of these were employed long since for the
backgrounds of pictures familiar to us all. Others, faithful studies of
nature, small oil and water-colour drawings, chiefly landscape, were
scarce known to the general public during the painter's life, but were
eagerly competed for at the sale of his pictures in July, 1896.

The little picture of _Capri at Sunrise_ was hung in the Academy of
1860, the painter's only contribution of that year. In the year
following, we find another small picture of Capri, together with five
others, some of which played their part in winning for the artist his
wider recognition.

[Illustration: A LEMON TREE
A PENCIL STUDY]

[Illustration: BYZANTINE WELL HEAD
A PENCIL STUDY]

Meanwhile, the artist was drawing his London ties closer. In 1860 he
took up his abode at 2, Orme Square, where he continued to reside until
he built his famous house in Holland Park Road, some years later. His
art did not for this reason become more like London, or more infected
with that British singularity which some critics would seem to demand.
On the contrary, Italy and the South, the glow of colour, the perfection
of form, the plastic exquisiteness, which mark for us his mature
performances, and which follow after classic ideals, were more and more
clearly to be discerned in the remarkable cycle of pictures associated
with this part of his career.

In 1861 he painted portraits of his sister, _Mrs. Sutherland Orr_, and
of _Mr. John Hanson Walker_, the former shown at the Academy, where also
hung _Paolo e Francesca_, _A Dream_, _Lieder ohne Worte_, _J. A.--a
Study_, and _Capri--Paganos_. Rossetti, writing of this exhibition,
says: "Leighton might, as you say, have made a burst had not his
pictures been ill-placed mostly--indeed, one of them (the only very good
one, _Lieder ohne Worte_) is the only instance of very striking
unfairness in the place."[2] In 1862 there were no fewer than six of the
artist's pictures at the May exhibition of the Academy: the _Odalisque_,
a very popular wor