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MICHAEL LEONARD Paintings

UK Vintage Male Nudes

1985 Figure Studies

Rare Gay Fine Art

Description

This hardcover book titled "MICHAEL LEONARD Paintings" features figure studies of UK male nudes by artist Michael Leonard. Published by GMP Gay Mens Press in 1985, this first edition book has 104 pages and a dust jacket. The book is in vintage condition and measures 8 inches in length and width, with a weight of 16.8 ounces. The book is written in English and belongs to the genres of biography and autobiography as well as art. It covers the topic of artists, architects, and photographers, with a focus on European art. The book is intended for adults and follows the literary movement of naturalism. The book does not have any inscriptions or ex libris, and it is not personalized or signed.

About this Item

Foreword by Lincoln Kirstein, Edward Lucie-Smith in conversation with the artist103pp, illustrated with colour images, black endpapers, black cloth with gilt spine lettering, a nice unclipped dust jacket, very slight yellowing to spine. Size: 8.25 x 8 Inches. Seller Inventory # 016455

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Bibliographic Details

Title: MICHAEL LEONARD PAINTINGS

Publisher: GMP Publishers Ltd, London

Publication Date: 1985

Binding: Black Cloth

Condition: Very Good

Dust Jacket Condition: Very Good

Edition: First Edition.

Michael Leonard was"

Born in 1933, 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.