Frederic, Lord Leighton

Needless Alarms

1886

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In Tate Britain

Walk Through British Art: 1840

Free entry

Artist: Frederic, Lord Leighton 1830–1896
Medium: Bronze
Dimensions: Object: 508 x 225 x 159 mm
Collection: Tate
Acquisition: Presented by Lady Aberconway 1940
Reference: N05120

Display caption

This is the third and final sculpture which Frederic Leighton produced, the others being the more heroic male nudes An Athlete Wrestling with a Python 1877 and The Sluggard 1885. The subject here is a child frightened by a toad, but Leighton is mainly interested in capturing the gentle contours of the figure. When Needless Alarms was shown at the Royal Academy it was much admired, especially by the painter John Everett Millais, who acquired a cast of it.

Gallery label, November 2016

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emotions, concepts and ideas(16,926)
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nature(46,524)
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people(35,850)
- actions: postures and motions(9,285)
  - arm / arms raised(842)
  - looking down(194)
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