The essay discusses Lord Leighton’s Cymon and Iphigenia (1884) as a late 19th‑century Academic painting: idealized, “realistic” in style, and the opposite of modernism (e.g. Picasso).
The subject comes from Boccaccio’s Decameron: Cymon, a dull youth on Cyprus, sees Iphigenia asleep by a pond, falls in love, and is transformed into an accomplished gentleman.
Leighton sets the scene in autumn (not spring) for warm, intense light and a sensuous mood.
His style blends Academic ideals (classical, establishment) with Pre-Raphaelite and Nazarene influences (vivid color, symbolic detail, passion), but this synthesis did not last.
After WWI, such art was seen as old-fashioned and tied to the pre-war world; artists like Wyndham Lewis (Vorticism) broke sharply with it.
The essay argues that reactions to the painting—sentimental vs. intoxicating—vary because people and tastes differ, and that’s fine.
It ends by linking the story to education: real learning starts when we “fall in love” with a subject; Montaigne is cited for the idea that teaching should inspire affection and curiosity rather than rely on force or rote.
Cymon and Iphigenia = Lord Leighton, 1884; subject from Boccaccio’s Decameron (Cymon’s first sight of sleeping Iphigenia and his transformation through love).
Academic Art: taught in academies, “realistic” in technique but idealized in subject (history, myth, Bible); establishment taste.
Setting: Autumn (not spring) for richer light and mood; similar to his Flaming June.
Historical fate: After WWI and modernism (e.g. Vorticism), this style was seen as outdated and linked to pre-war Europe.
Reception: Divisive—some find it sentimental or boring, others intoxicating; both reactions are valid.
Education theme: Cymon’s change illustrates that love of a subject is the best start for learning; Montaigne: teach by “affection” and gentle engagement, not by force or cruelty.