Un Matin

Artist William John Leech (1881 - 1968)

Date1918-20

MediumOil on canvas

Dimensions112.4 x 127.4 cm

ClassificationsPaintings

Credit LineCollection & image © Hugh Lane Gallery. Donated by the artist in remembrance of Sir Hugh Lane. © The Estate of William John Leech

Object number228

DescriptionWilliam Leech was a student of Walter Osborne at the Royal Hibernian Academy Schools before moving to Paris in 1881. He then spent over five years at Concarneau in Brittany and although he eventually settled in England he made several return visits to France over the years. Leech enjoyed painting flowers and plants and did a number of studies of aloes of which this is a fine example. It is likely that it was painted at Grasse near Les Martiques in France.

Leech excelled as a colourist. In this work, his palette is restricted to mainly greens and blues but he used dashes of purple, orange and zinc white to enliven it although he was later dissatisfied with his use of zinc white in this work. The forms of the plants dominate the composition and give the painting an abstract feel. There is also a strong decorative element that calls to mind the patterned forms of Art Nouveau.

Post-Impressionism had a lasting impact on the artist and the influence of Seurat, Gauguin and Cézanne can be identified. The signature on this work is in the oriental form Leech used briefly from 1919 to 1920. The carved hand-decorated frame was probably made by Leech, and has been signed on the lower left.

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