William John Leech: A Master of Light and Color
Born in Dublin in 1881, William John Leech considered himself an Irish painter, though much of his career was spent abroad. He studied at the Académie Julian in Paris and began painting in Brittany in 1903. Early in his career, Leech’s interiors and portraits reflected the tonal influence of Whistler, but by around 1910, his style shifted toward a brighter, Post-Impressionist palette. His later works from Brittany are filled with light and color, often featuring his first wife, Elizabeth Kerlin, as a model in dynamic, experimental pieces such as Convent Garden, Brittany (National Gallery of Ireland).
After World War I, Leech split his time between London and the South of France, accompanied by his companion and later wife, May Botterell. Deeply influenced by French painting, especially the play of light—a hallmark of the Irish Impressionists—Leech continued to explore various styles throughout his career. His body of work includes portraits, landscapes, still lifes, self-portraits, and detailed interiors, with a particular fascination for natural subjects like luxuriant aloes.
Despite regularly exhibiting in Ireland and England, much of Leech’s work remains in private collections and relatively unknown to the public. This retrospective catalogue sheds light on his reclusive life and reaffirms his status as a significant figure in Irish art history.