Les Femmes Savantes

Leslie's Les Femmes Savantes depicts a scene from Molière's comedy of 1672 — in which a household of women who aspire to intellectual distinction are satirized through their pomposity and their ignorance of practical wisdom. Molière's comedies of social pretension were among the most popular theatrical subjects in Victorian painting, their combination of sharp wit and recognizable social types making them ideal for pictorial treatment. Leslie's affection for French classical comedy reflected his broader range across literary traditions — English, French, and Spanish — that distinguished his literary painting from contemporaries who confined themselves to Shakespeare and Scott.

The multi-figure composition arranges characters in theatrical groupings that clarify the comic dynamics. Leslie's handling of period French costume and interior decoration shows careful historical research.