'Michael Leonard' 8-27 Oct 2018 at Coningsby Gallery.

Henry Miller Fine Art is delighted to present Michael Leonard’s first London exhibiton in 15 years. Spanning five decades, the exhibition includes drawings and paintings from the 1960’s to the present; including examples of his commercial work from the 60’s and early paintings from the 70’s, alongside portraits and nudes from the 80’s onwards. Also included are still lives and line drawings, showcasing the range and versatility of one of Britain’s most talented artists.

The show will feature some of his best known works including “Passage of Arms” (1979) and “Changing” (1981) from the “Scaffolders Series” and his Thatcher cover for The Sunday Times (1980).

Passage of Arms, 1979.

Born in 1933, Michael Leonard studied Commercial Design and Illustration at London’s Saint Martin’s School of Art from 1954 to 1957 and spent the next few years working as a freelance illustrator, producing artwork for books, magazines and advertising, before finding his voice as a painter and getting his first solo exhibition in 1974.

His early paintings, mainly portraits of friends and family, tended to be formal, sober and low key, a clear contrast to his commercial work. Over time, his work became more animated and colourful and in 1985 he was commissioned to paint the portrait of HRH Queen Elizabeth II which now hangs at the National Portrait Gallery.

The nude, and especially the male nude, has been a recurring theme in Leonard’s work, with his models often on the move or in a state of transition, dressing or undressing. Almost all his nude paintings are based on pencil drawings which are not only preparatory studies but works of art themselves, many of which are on display as part of the exhibition.

A list of works which are available for sale can be seen HERE

Coningsby Gallery 30 Tottenham Street, London, W1T 4RJ. Closed Sundays, open until 7pm Thursdays and Fridays.

Picture of the Month.

Thomas Pollock Anshutz (American 1851-1912), Seated Male Figure with Water Jug, c.1900, Oil on canvas, signed (lower right), 81cm x 66cm, framed.

Thomas Pollock Anshutz was taught by Thomas Eakins and Christian Schussele at the Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Arts in Philadelphia, going on to lead the institution after Eakins' departure in 1886. In 1892, he enrolled at the Académie Julian in Paris under the instruction of William-Adolphe Bouguereau and Lucien Doucet.

Under the influence of Eakins, with whom he had a particularly close working relationship, Anshutz looked for new forms of expression for depicting everyday life. In 1880, he painted Ironworkers at Noon, which hangs in the Fine Arts Museum of San Francisco. The painting depicts several workers on their break in the yard of a foundry. It is conceived in a naturalistic style featuring realistic anatomical depictions of men, similar to that of his mentor Eakins. However, despite the realism of the painting, the figures are depicted in classical poses. The man in the foreground rubbing his arm poses in a manner borrowed from a figure on the Parthenon. Other figures are posed in the tradition of Western Academic art.

Ironworkers at Noon, 1880, oil on canvas, Museum of Fine Arts, San Francisco.

In Seated Male Figure with Water Jug, Anshutz again sets the painting in the context of traditional Academic painting and drawing, but the final composition is a realist depiction of the male figure. Drawings or paintings of the male nude, called "académies", were central to academic art training throughout Europe. Traditional Academic subjects however were often painted in heroic poses, echoing classical Greek and Roman sculpture. Classicism is emphasised further here by placing the model with a water jug. However, rather than romanticising the male figure, Anshutz has painted a 'real' figure tentatively posed on a pile of rugs, with his face sensitvely looking towards the artist. His pale body only serves to highlight the fragility of the subject. In this painting, Anshutz has drawn on the traditional Academic male nude, but subverted it, creating something modern for its time. The impressionistic depiction of the rugs is a further nod to the modernism in late 19th century Western art.

If you would like any further information about the picture, please do not hesitate to get in contact.

Spring 2018 Exhibition @Coningsby Gallery, 5-17 Mar 18

I shall be taking my collection of paintings, prints, photography and works on paper to the Coningsby Gallery, 30 Tottenham Street, London, W1T 4RJ from 5-17 March 2018. The gallery will be open from 10am to 6pm (Mon - Wed) with late night opening until 7pm (Thurs - Friday), and 11am to 6pm (Sat).

Winter Exhibition 2017 @ The Framers Gallery, 4-16 Dec

I shall be taking my collection of paintings, prints, photography and works on paper to the Framers Gallery, 36 Windmill Street, London, W1T 2JT from 4th to 16th December 2017. The gallery will be open from 10am to 5pm, with late night opening on Thursdays and Fridays until 7pm.

Event: Open House in Walthamstow - 10th September 2017 - 1-6pm.

I shall be opening my home gallery space to display my collection of paintings, drawings, prints and photographs from the 16th Century to the present day. The Open House will be open between 1pm and 6pm on 10th September 2017. There is no need to RSVP, just come along and have a look around. I hope to see you there.

Exhibition - Leopardi's Dream: The Engravings of Francis West

Friday 30th June will be the last day that Francis' engraving will be on show at the Walthamstow Village Window Gallery (47 Orford Road, London, E17 9NJ). Thank you to all those who came to see the exhibition both in the Window Gallery and in my home gallery space as part of the E17 Art trail.

If you missed the exhibition in Walthamstow, it will be on show again at the Coningsby Gallery in Central London from 25th September - 7th October 2017 at 30 Tottenham Street, London, W1T 4RJ. The complete collection of engravings remains on view on the website https://www.henrymillerfineart.co.uk/francis-west/

Exhibition - Preview Drinks - 6-9pm 1/6/17 - Leopardi's Dream: The Engravings of Francis West.

Please join myself and Jenny West for drinks at the Walthamstow Village Window Gallery (47 Orford Road, London, E17 9NJ) to celebrate the opening of the exhibition of Francis West's wonderful engravings. An extraordinary draftsman, whether painting, drawing or, as here, engraving, Francis' work exudes an inimitable style of its own, full of wondrous people, mythical creatures and performing animals. The event is open to all, so please come along and feel free to bring your friends.

Francis West, Leopardi's Dream, c.1979

Exhibition: Leopardi's Dream: The Engravings of Francis West, 1 to 30 June 2017

As part of the E17 Art Trail, I shall be exhibiting Francis West's complete collection of engravings. Difficult to categorise in any particular style or movement, Francis' work is steeped in the knowledge of the great traditions of figurative art. An extraordinary draftsman, whether painting, drawing or, as here, engraving, his work exudes an inimitable style of its own, full of wondrous people, mythical creatures and performing animals.

Francis’ career spanned over 40 years, from his first solo show in 1973, to his final collection of paintings, exhibited posthumously in 2016 by the Megan Piper Gallery; some of which were completed just before his untimely death in December 2015. He leaves an extraordinary body of work, which is a testament to his sustained daily commitment to drawing and painting.

His work is included in many public collections, including the British Museum, Pallant House Gallery, Arts Council of Great Britain, Victoria and Albert Museum, as well as numerous private collections. (Please note that the exhibition is being held over two sites - see below.)

'A Touch of Artistry', Period Living Magazine.

Thanks to all at Period Living Magazine for this piece on my home and gallery space.

Henry Miller Fine Art at the Coningsby Gallery: 27 February to 11 March 2017

I shall be taking my collection of paintings, drawings, photography and prints to the Coningsby Gallery for the first time between 27th February and 11th March 2017. Details of the exhibition can be found at the Coningsby Gallery website. Please click on the image below for details.

Inside the Home of Art Collector Henry Miller, Absolutely London, December 2016.

Thanks to all, particularly Patrick Hamilton Courtney, at Absolutely London, for this article about Henry Miller Fine Art. Please click on the image below and it will take you to the article.

The Art of the Home, Gay Times Magazine, Online Edition, 1st November 2016

Thanks to all at GT for the piece in their online edition on 1st November 2016. Please click on the image below and it will take you to the article.

'The Art of the Home', by Lucy Freeman, the EList, September 2016

Thank you to all those involved for the feature on Henry Miller Fine Art in the September 2016 copy of the Elist. Please click on the image below and it will take you to an online version of the magazine. The article is at pages 20 & 21.