For some painters, a depiction of a honeymoon might be a little...spicier.

One might imagine that artistic types bring their intense passion to all aspects of their lives, especially their bedrooms. Think Pablo Picasso and all his wives and mistresses. But Frederic Leighton obviously had a different idea of romance.

Lord Frederic Leighton never wed, or if he did it was to his work; the man once proclaimed, "I am married to my art."  Leighton was incredibly accomplished, but he had a dim view on marriage, even chiding his peers whenever they got hitched. This is a stance we can see in this work, as the act of creating art is put on the same level as matrimonial romance. However, this would all change...

About fifteen years after this painting was created, Leighton met Dorothy Dene. She would go on to become his favorite model. He would do more sketches of her than anyone else, and she would also star his most popular paintings, including his most famous piece Flaming June.

Regardless of the strength of his infatuation, their status as a couple was never made official. However, in a letter from Italian painter Giovanni Costa to the Earl of Carlisle, Costa specifically mentions that Lord Leighton was at the Grosvenor Gallery “without his wife.” So the relationship was serious enough for folks to presume they were married. Moreover, the paintings that involve his beloved Dorothy are significantly more sensual than anything depicted in this image of a “honeymoon.”

While this painting might not be everyone's idea of a perfect honeymoon, for Leighton, art and romance were one and the same.