Though this period sees a continuing interest in art for art's sake, Victorian artists never entirely give up their interest in moralizing.
c. 1880 - 1901
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Sir Frederic Leighton, An Athlete Wrestling with a Python
An epic showdown between man’s moralizing musculature and serpentine sin.
George Frederic Watts, The Minotaur
Inspired by a campaign to raise the age of consent, Watts harked back to the Athenian version of the Hunger Games.
Sir Lawrence Alma-Tadema, A Reading from Homer
This master of texture was wildly popular in the 19th century. Why was he forgotten during the 20th?
Sir Frederic Leighton, Bath of Psyche
Removing nearly all references to myth, Leighton focuses on the beauty of the nude and harmonious colors.
