_-_Sketch_for_'The_Duke_and_Duchess_Reading_%22Don_Quixote%22'_-_N01792_-_National_Gallery.jpg&width=1200)
Sketch for ‘The Duke and Duchess Reading “Don Quixote”’
Historical Context
This 1829 sketch for The Duke and Duchess Reading Don Quixote illustrates the scene where Cervantes' aristocratic characters read and discuss the novel of which they themselves are part. The meta-literary subject appealed to Leslie's sophisticated literary sensibility. Leslie's oil paintings are distinguished by their careful historical and literary research; he was also the author of the official biography of Constable, reflecting his dual role as painter and art historian.
Technical Analysis
The sketch demonstrates Leslie's fluid handling in the preparatory phase, with warm color and animated figures capturing the essence of the literary scene.
_-_Queen_Katherine_and_Patience_-_FA.122(O)_-_Victoria_and_Albert_Museum.jpg&width=400)
_-_Amy_Robsart_(1532%E2%80%931560)_-_FA.123(O)_-_Victoria_and_Albert_Museum.jpg&width=400)
_-_A_Female_Head_-_FA.121(O)_-_Victoria_and_Albert_Museum.jpg&width=400)
_-_Don_Quixote_and_Dorothea_(from_Cervantes'_novel)_-_FA.119(O)_-_Victoria_and_Albert_Museum.jpg&width=400)
.jpg&width=600)