fered
much from its present state. Not only was the sky of deeper violet, but
almost in silhouette against the moon, on another raised platform, stood
a draped female figure, afterwards painted out entirely. Other works
shown this year were _Little Fatima_, a small half-length figure of a
little girl in Eastern costume, seen against a dark background; and a
_Portion of the Interior of the Grand Mosque at Damascus_ (reproduced at
p. 28). As the building it depicts has since been burnt down, the fine
transcript has an added interest. We are come now to a year which, even
beyond other years of activity, displayed the artist's characteristic
energy: 1876. In the Academy of that year, with the _Daphnephoria_,
Leighton once more chose a great classic theme, for a painting which, by
its composition, reminded the critics and lovers of art of the artist's
early triumph with the _Cimabue's Madonna_, and of his other great
processional picture, the _Syracusan Bride_.

Of all his works in this class, there is no doubt that the
_Daphnephoria_ is the most technically complete. The procession is seen
defiling along a terrace backed by trees through which the clear
southern sky gleams. A youth carrying the symbolic olive bough, called
the Kopo, adorned with its curious emblems, leads the procession. He is
clad in purple robes and crowned with leaves. The youthful priest, known
as the Daphnephoros (the laurel-bearer) follows, clothed in white
raiment. He is similarly crowned, and carries a slim laurel stem. Then
come three boys, in scanty red and green draperies, which serve only to
emphasize the beauty of their almost naked forms, the middle and tallest
one bearing aloft a draped trophy of golden armour. These are seen to be
pausing while the leader of the chorus, a tall, finely modelled man,
whose back is turned, is giving directions to the chorus with uplifted
right hand; in his left hand is a lyre, and the left arm from the elbow
is characteristically draped. The first row of the chorus is composed of
five children, clothed in purple, crowned with flowers; two rows of
maidens, in blue and white, come next; and these in turn are succeeded
by some boys with cymbals. The interest of the passing procession is
very much enhanced by the effect produced on two lovely bystanders,--a
girl and child in blue, beautifully designed, who are drawing water in
the left foreground. In the valley below is seen the town of Thebes.

[Illustration: T