Michael Leonard British, 1933-2023
Vanitas; Tondo (Unfinished), c.2009

POA

Alkyd-oil on board
81 cm diameter (100 cm diameter framed)

Although most famous for his portrait of HM Queen Elizabeth in the NPG, from the late 1970s up until his retirement from painting in 2009, Leonard created a series of paintings celebrating the male figure. The nude, particularly the male nude, has been a recurring theme in his work. “I am fascinated by the subtle interactions of muscle, bone and sinew that come into play as a body moves…”

Michael was revisiting his previous painting Vanitas, (1991) when he retired from painting due to ill-health.