Invocation

Oil on Canvas

In this painting, the spectator's eyes are drawn to the depiction of the woman who dominates the scene. She is clad in white draperies that are obviously inspired by the clothing worn by women in ancient Greek art. The woman also wears an expression of longing or pleading as she gazes up at a tiny golden figure (only the very corner of which, incidentally, is visible in the painting) on a fluted column.

Author and Leighton scholar Christopher Newall suggests that the woman in this work is either a dancer or singer who is looking to her Muse for inspiration. This is a plausible interpretation of the painting. Certainly, the title Invocation also reinforces this explanation.