3-095-784 - "Royal Academy of Arts, London; photographer: Paul Highnam"/Heritage Images

Cymon, c1884. Plaster sketch model for the figure of Cymon in Leighton's painting 'Cymon and Iphigenia' (Art Gallery of New South Wales), which was exhibited at the Royal Academy in 1884. The subject is derived from a story in Boccaccio's 'Decameron' (1350). A young nobleman called Galesus was renamed Cymon (meaning 'beast') because of his gruff manner, and sent to work on a farm. After some time he encountered the beautiful Iphigenia sleeping in the countryside. On falling in love with her, he resolved to give up his boorish ways. In both the painting and model Leighton depicts Cymon with his head lowered in awe of the sleeping Iphigenia. However unlike this sculpture, the figure of Cymon in the painting is draped with a cloak and viewed in profile.