Michael Leonard Portrait Paintings
British, 1933-2023
Born in India in 1933 to British parents, at the end of the war in Europe Leonard returned to England to complete his education. In 1954, after two years of National Service in the army, he went to St Martin’s School of Art in London and studied Commercial Design and Illustration. By the time he left Art School in 1957 he was already working as a freelance illustrator and for many years was busy producing artwork for books, magazines, advertising and the press.
As an illustrator he worked in a small studio attached to the offices of his agents ‘Artist Partners’ in Soho. Meanwhile at home he experimented, trying to discover his voice as a painter. His work eventually came to the attention of Fischer Fine Art, a distinguished London gallery of the day and in 1972 several of his paintings were included in one of their group shows. In 1974 they gave him his first One Man Show and after that he gradually left illustration behind.
He was nearly forty when his life as an exhibiting painter began. At first his pictures tended to be formal, sober and low key — an attempt perhaps to distance himself from the sensational values of the commercial world. People sat in rooms, posed with their dogs in London’s parks or went sailing on the river. By degrees his work became more animated and colourful.
The people in his pictures were usually friends who were kind enough to model for him but he also painted portraits to commission and among his subjects were Lincoln Kirstein, Edward Lucie-Smith, Adrian Ward Jackson, Sir Peter Moores and the Marquess and Marchioness of Hartington (now the Duke and Duchess of Devonshire). In 1985 Reader’s Digest commissioned him to paint a portrait of H.M. Queen Elizabeth II in honour of her sixtieth birthday. (It is now in the National Portrait Gallery’s permanent collection).
The nude, particularly the male nude, has been a recurring theme. His figures are usually on the move or in a state of transition but even when they are at rest dynamism is provided by the design of the picture. This can be seen in Vanitas, (a sleeping man cradling a skull) Watermelons, (a torso as part of a ‘tableau’ with fruit) and in Pomegranate Man and Nectarine Man. Almost all his paintings of the nude are based on drawings which, besides being preparatory studies, are ends in themselves.
Michael died in London on 28 July 2023.to
1
Overall Width
to
Overall Height
to
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
6
280
81
79
74
1
1
Artist: Michael Leonard
Alan, Bella, Brick and Slate
By Michael Leonard
Located in London, GB
Acrylic on Masonite board, signed and dated (lower middle), 70cm x 70cm (91cm x 91cm framed). Price on request
This work depicts Alan and his dog, Bella, on Michael Leonard’s balcon...
Category
1970s Post-War Michael Leonard Portrait Paintings
Materials
Acrylic, Board
Related Items
DAMA GLAMUROSA
By Fernando Fernandez
Located in Aventura, FL
Original painting on foam board with custom painted frame. Hand signed lower front by Fernando Fernandez. Size including frame approx 44 x 34.75 inches.
Artwork is in excellent con...
Category
2010s Cubist Michael Leonard Portrait Paintings
Materials
Acrylic, Foam Board
Mid Century Portrait of Artist Doris Rohr of Carmel
By Abel Warshawsky
Located in Soquel, CA
Wonderful mid century portrait of Carmel artist Doris Estelle Rohr by listed California artist Abel George (Buck) Warshawsky (American, 1883-1962). Signed "A.G. Warshawsky Dec. 22 52...
Category
1950s Post-War Michael Leonard Portrait Paintings
Materials
Masonite, Oil
$5,500
H 32 in W 27 in D 3 in
Portrait of a Woman in the Style of Modigliani in Acrylic (Blue Background)
Located in Soquel, CA
Portrait of a Woman in the Style of Modigliani in Acrylic (Blue Background)
Portrait of a woman in the style of Amedeo Modigliani by an unknown artist (20th century). The woman has ...
Category
Late 20th Century Modern Michael Leonard Portrait Paintings
Materials
Canvas, Acrylic, Illustration Board
$550
H 14 in W 11 in D 0.25 in
Portrait of a Woman with Red Hair in the Style of Modigliani (Green Background)
Located in Soquel, CA
Portrait of a Woman with Red Hair in the Style of Modigliani (Green Background)
Portrait of a woman in the style of Amedeo Modigliani by an unknown artist (20th century). The woman...
Category
Late 20th Century Modern Michael Leonard Portrait Paintings
Materials
Canvas, Acrylic, Illustration Board
$550
H 14 in W 11 in D 0.25 in
"Making Firends", Galina Pshenitsina, Post-War, Figurative, Oil/Canvas, 37x44in.
Located in Dallas, TX
Galina Vasilevna Pshenitsina was born in 1940 in the town of Gorky (now Nizhny Novgorod). She began her studies at the Art School named after Johanson in St. Petersburg. In 1959, she...
Category
Early 2000s Post-War Michael Leonard Portrait Paintings
Materials
Canvas, Oil
$19,500
H 37 in W 44 in D 2 in
Surrealist Figurative Portrait on Canvas, Green and Red Palette. "The Pirate"
By Natasha Lelenco
Located in FISTERRA, ES
This surrealist figurative portrait on canvas merges traditional painting techniques with symbolic elements of contemporary art. Executed in acrylic on board, the piece measures 60 x...
Category
2010s Pop Art Michael Leonard Portrait Paintings
Materials
Spray Paint, Acrylic, Board
$832 Sale Price
35% Off
H 23.63 in W 23.63 in D 1.58 in
"Girl in Red Jacket", Galina Pshenitsina, Post-War, Figurative, 32x23 in., Oil
Located in Dallas, TX
Galina Vasilevna Pshenitsina was born in 1940 in the town of Gorky (now Nizhny Novgorod). She began her studies at the Art School named after Johanson in St. Petersburg. In 1959, she...
Category
Early 2000s Post-War Michael Leonard Portrait Paintings
Materials
Canvas, Oil
$12,500
H 32 in W 23 in D 2 in
"Seated Man"
Located in Astoria, NY
Robert Holden (American, XX), "Seated Man", Oil on Canvas, 1979-80, signed and Art Students League label verso, unframed.
22" H x 28" W x 1" D.
Provenance: From the Allen Tucker Me...
Category
1970s Post-War Michael Leonard Portrait Paintings
Materials
Canvas, Oil
French Woman at Le Cafe La Nuit in Arles, France by Contemporary British Artist
By Angela Wakefield
Located in Preston, GB
Original Painting of a French Woman at Le Café La Nuit in Arles, France by Contemporary British Artist, Angela Wakefield. Provençal eatery with a charming terrace said to have inspir...
Category
2010s Contemporary Michael Leonard Portrait Paintings
Materials
Gesso, Paint, Mixed Media, Acrylic, Board
$10,884 Sale Price
20% Off
H 17 in W 29 in D 2 in
Modality 4. Abstraction Acrylic Painting on Board, Colorful, Polish artist
By Monika Rossa
Located in Warsaw, PL
Abstract acrylic on high impact styrene board painting by Polish artist living in the USA, Monika Rossa. Artwork is colorful. It can be exhibited vertically or horizontally.
MONIKA ...
Category
21st Century and Contemporary Contemporary Michael Leonard Portrait Paintings
Materials
Board, Acrylic
$951 Sale Price
20% Off
H 29.14 in W 23.63 in
Untitled 2 - Series Final Fantasy, Minutiae Contemporary Figurative Painting
By Magdalena Peszkowska
Located in Salzburg, AT
Magdalena Peszkowska born in 1980 in Gdańsk, Poland. Studied in Department of Painting at Academy of Fine Arts in Gdańsk (1999-2004). Diploma with special recognition in painting in ...
Category
2010s Contemporary Michael Leonard Portrait Paintings
Materials
Acrylic, Cardboard
$2,971
H 35.44 in W 27.56 in D 1.19 in
Fluorescent Pink Botanical Portrait on Wood. Fetiche with Mustache and Camellia
By Natasha Lelenco
Located in FISTERRA, ES
This contemporary figurative portrait is part of Natasha Lelenco’s acclaimed Fetiches series, exploring hybrid identities through botanical and symbolic assemblages. Painted in fluor...
Category
2010s Pop Art Michael Leonard Portrait Paintings
Materials
Spray Paint, Acrylic, Board
Natasha LelencoFluorescent Pink Botanical Portrait on Wood. Fetiche with Mustache and Camellia, 2022
$951 Sale Price
25% Off
H 23.63 in W 23.63 in D 1.58 in
Michael Leonard portrait paintings for sale on 1stDibs.
Find a wide variety of authentic Michael Leonard portrait paintings available for sale on 1stDibs. You can also browse by medium to find art by Michael Leonard in acrylic paint, board, paint and more. Much of the original work by this artist or collective was created during the 1970s and is mostly associated with the post-war style. Not every interior allows for large Michael Leonard portrait paintings, so small editions measuring 36 inches across are available. Customers who are interested in this artist might also find the work of and Abraham Straski. Michael Leonard portrait paintings prices can differ depending upon medium, time period and other attributes. On 1stDibs, the price for these items starts at $25,883 and tops out at $25,883, while the average work can sell for $25,883.