author
Mrs. Russell Barrington
1841–1933
A lively Victorian writer, artist, and biographer, she moved in the creative world around Frederic Leighton and G. F. Watts. Her books blend close personal knowledge with a strong feeling for art, friendship, and public life.
2 Audiobooks
The life, letters and work of Frederic Leighton. Volume I
by Mrs. Russell Barrington
The life, letters and work of Frederic Leighton. Volume II
by Mrs. Russell Barrington
About the author
Born Emilie Isabel Wilson in London in 1841, she later wrote under the name Mrs. Russell Barrington. She was the daughter of James Wilson, founder of The Economist, and became known as a British biographer, novelist, and artist.
She was closely connected with the Holland Park Circle in London and is especially remembered for writing about major cultural figures of her time, including G. F. Watts and Frederic Leighton. Her two-volume The Life, Letters and Work of Frederic Leighton remains one of her best-known works.
Barrington was also important beyond the page. After Leighton’s death, she helped preserve his house and was instrumental in the effort that led to Leighton House becoming a museum. She died in 1933, leaving behind a body of writing that links Victorian art, biography, and social history.