Frederic Leighton, 1st Baron Leighton (December 31, 1830 - January 25, 1896) was an English painter and sculptor. His works depicted historical, biblical and classical subject matter, painted for Victorian sensibilities.

Leighton was born in Scarborough. He received his artistic training on the European continent, first from Edward von Steinle and then from Giovanni Costa. He lived in Paris from 1855 to 1859, where he met Ingres, Delacroix, Corot, and Millet. In 1860, he moved to London, where he associated with the Pre-RaphAElites. In 1864 he became an associate of the Royal Academy and in 1878 he became its president.

Leighton was knighted at Windsor in 1878, and was created a baronet eight years later. He was the first painter to be given a peerage, in the New Years Honours List of 1896. The patent conferring on him the Barony of Leighton was issued on January 24, 1896; Leighton died the next day of angina pectoris. As he was unmarried his Barony was extinguished; this is an all-time record in the Peerage. His house in Holland Park, London has been turned into a museum, the Leighton House Museum. It contains a number of his drawings and paintings.

-Wikipedia