Leigh Lane 1939 ~ A Love Letter to Vivien Leigh

In Leigh Lane 1939, I’ve painted a world that exists between history, memory, and imagined realms, a place where Vivien Leigh’s presence lingers like an unforgotten whisper. Inspired by one of the greatest performances in cinematic history - Leigh’s portrayal of Scarlett O’Hara in Gone with the Wind - this painting is more than a homage; it’s a layered tapestry of architecture, war, theatre, and personal tribute.

Scarlett’s Side | The Right Hand Realm of Leigh

On the right side of the painting, the buildings are infused with Leigh’s essence - rich, gothic, and steeped in dramatic intrigue. The vivid greens flicker like the emerald resilience of Scarlett O’Hara, while the architecture itself, theatrical in its composition, evokes the grand stages where Leigh once stood, touring the world alongside Laurence Olivier. Yet there is also a spectral trace of another queen. The Egyptian inspired forms subtly nod to Leigh’s turn as Cleopatra, a role in which she embodied both grandeur and tragedy.

Within this world, a glimmer of Leigh herself still remains . Ethereal and interwoven with Scarlett, it’s as though neither can truly leave the other behind. Her ghostly presence peers across the street, staring towards the opposing buildings, which echo two other Gone with the Wind figures: Belle Watling and Melanie Hamilton.

Belle and Melanie | The Feminine Contrast

Opposite Leigh’s domain, the left-hand side of Leigh Lane 1939 is softer and more delicate. Adorned in pinks, peaches, and gentle flourishes. Here, femininity takes on a different form. The buildings are alive with flowers and bells, their details singing of warmth and grace. Belle Watling, the kind hearted but scandalous madam, and Melanie, the embodiment of unwavering kindness, both take root in this space, their spirits embodied in the gentler tones and curved architectural embellishments.

Leigh’s gaze upon this realm suggests both distance and longing - a reflection of Scarlett’s own complex relationship with these two figures. In Scarlett’s world of ambition and survival, Melanie’s selflessness was both a beacon and a mystery, while Belle’s quiet dignity defied expectation. In the painting, their presence is not merely a contrast to Scarlett’s intensity, but a reminder of the multiplicity of femininity and the different paths a woman might walk.

The Rising Skyline | War, Freedom, and the Shadows of History

Beyond these intimate spaces, the background surges upward. The buildings rise from the graves of the fallen soldiers of the American Civil War, forming a jagged, futuristic skyline. An imagined Manhattan where history and progress collide. These towering forms speak of liberty and freedom but are also marked by the scars of suffering, their inked structures a record of war’s cost.

The mark-making process behind this aspect of Leigh Lane 1939 was undertaken over a long period of time, each layer of ink a meditation on history’s weight. The chaotic layering of architectural forms suggests both the relentless march of progress and the eternal presence of the past. Two forces that, much like Scarlett herself, are forever entwined.

A Cinematic and Spiritual Glimpse into Memory

The painting’s textures and tones - built through water-based acrylics, layered carbon inks, and iridescent watercolours - capture the feeling of Gone with the Wind but extend beyond it, reaching into something more ethereal. This is not just a recreation of a film or a historical moment; it’s a glimpse into memory, into other realms where stories continue beyond the screen.

In this dreamlike space, Leigh finds a home beyond acting, beyond performance. The painting serves as a love letter not only to her artistry but to the woman behind the legend. Leigh’s struggles with bipolar disorder and her turbulent years after her separation from Olivier are well documented. In Leigh Lane 1939, my hope is that I’ve envisioned a realm where she can finally find peace. Away from the demands of playing queens and Southern belles, away from the weight of expectation.

Here, in this imagined realm, she exists not as Scarlett, not as Cleopatra, not as Lady Olivier, but simply as herself.

This piece is currently available to purchase.