Graphite pencil on paper, 18.5cm x 19cm, (framed 50cm x 42cm), £8,000
Leonard is probably best known for his portrait of HM Queen Elizabeth, in the National Portrait Gallery, London. The nude in a state of transition is a theme which he repeatedly returns to throughout his career. Although mainly known for his male nudes, he painted and drew this model on a number of occasions.
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Graphite pencil on paper, initialled (lower left), signed and dated (lower right), 15cm x 14cm, (35cm x 32cm framed), £4,500
This work, along with Chimera II, relates to his paintings the following year, Sneakers Englouties I & II.
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Pencil on paper, signed and dated (upper right), 30cm x 24.5cm (59cm x 51cm framed), £7,000 (This work was kept by the artist for his personal collection. It remained in his collection until his death in July 2023.)
Lucie-Smith and Michael were old friends who lived close to each other in West Kensington. Edward Lucie-Smith, is a Jamaican-born English writer, poet, art critic, curator, broadcaster and photographer. He has been highly prolific in these fields, writing or editing over a hundred books, his subjects gradually shifting around the late 1960s from mostly literature to mostly art.
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Watercolour and gouache on paper, signed (lower left), 50cm x 42cm, (68cm x 58cm framed), £8,000. (This work was kept by the artist for his personal collection. It remained in his collection until his death in July 2023.)
This is the original artwork for an illustration work appeared in the Sunday Times Colour Supplement. Michael produced seven of the ten illustrations for their Guide to Shakespeare Characters. The model for Othello is Desmond Heeley, (British 1931-2016), the set and constume designer and friend of Michael’s.
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Indian Ink and Gouache, 54cm x 46cm, (60cm x 52cm framed), £5,000
Although his painting of HM Queen Elizabeth came much later in his career, Michael painted a large number of portraits throughout his career. His extraordinary ability to capture the essence of a sitter was fully formed even in his early work, such as here.
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Pen and ink and ink wash, 26cm x 20cm, (41cm x 34cm framed), £3,000
This work was created when Michael was studying at Central St. Martins. Drawn during a life drawing class, his ability to expertly capture the essence of the model, was evident early in his career.
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Pen and ink and ink wash, 26cm x 20cm, (40cm x 34cm framed), £3,000
This work was created when Michael was studying at Central St. Martins. Probably drawn during a life drawing class, his ability to expertly capture the essence of the sitter, was evident early in his career.
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Pencil on paper (double-sided), titled with artist’s note (recto) and with another image of the Minotaur (verso), 28cm x 20cm, (44cm x 34cm framed), £5,000
The theme of Theseus and the Minotaur is something that Michael was particularly fascinated with, and a something which he repeatedly explored and returned to in his career, especially in the 1960s.
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Graphite pencil on tracing paper, titled (lower right), 22cm x 19cm, (40cm x 37cm framed), £5,000
This figures comes from a series of drawings Michael created, depicting figures and characters from Mozart’s Magic Flute.
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Graphite pencil on tracing paper, 21cm x 21cm, (39cm x 39cm framed), £3,500
This work draws on Michael’s fascination and interest in the classical - particularly vase painting of ancient Greece - and ‘the world of myth’.
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Pen and ink and gouache on paper, titled (middle right), 26cm x 20cm, (36cm x 32cm framed), £4,750
Created during Michael’s time at Central St. Martins, he was so accomplished as an illustrator and designer, that he was professionally commissioned to work, prior to finishing his time at art school. It is not known whether this was a commission for the book ‘My Crowded Solitude’, as sometimes he would create work in expectation of getting work.
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Pen and ink, wash and gouache, titled (upper right) and inscribed with notes from the artist, 3 sheets - 25cm x 20cm (each), (32cm x 67cm framed), £5,000
Devised when still at Central St. Martins, Michael proposed a book jacket for a proposed book by his Uncle George.. “The tiger stalking his terrified prey was a book jacket idea I had for a collection of jungle tales by my uncle George. After retiring from an exciting life as a game warden in Malaya, he recounted his tales on BBC Radio to great effect. Alas, he failed to get around to making a book out of them so, in the end, my book jacket idea was never realised.” (Michael Leonard).
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Pen and ink wash, and gouache, 26cm x 20cm, (38cm x 34cm framed), £3,500
This work was created when Michael was studying at Central St. Martins. Probably painted during a life drawing class, his ability to expertly capture the essence of the sitter, was evident early in his career.
To enquire about this work, click HERE
Pen and ink paper, titled (lower right), 25cm x 40cm, (33cm x 48cm framed), £4,000
“When I was a student there in the fifties, the Art School was located in Charing Cross Road… I only had to step into the street to find plenty to sketch: shop fronts, ornamental street lamps, wrought iron railings and red telephone boxes - all were full of London character and a challenge to draw. I drew on building sites, in barbers shops, in parks and squares. I stood on street corners and outside tube stations recording the life of the street.” (Michael Leonard)
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Pen and ink paper, titled (middle right), 25cm x 40cm, (33cm x 48cm framed), £4,000
“When I was a student there in the fifties, the Art School was located in Charing Cross Road… I only had to step into the street to find plenty to sketch: shop fronts, ornamental street lamps, wrought iron railings and red telephone boxes - all were full of London character and a challenge to draw. I drew on building sites, in barbers shops, in parks and squares. I stood on street corners and outside tube stations recording the life of the street.” (Michael Leonard)
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Pencil on paper, titled (middle right), 25cm x 40cm, (33cm x 48cm framed), £4,000
“When I was a student there in the fifties, the Art School was located in Charing Cross Road… I only had to step into the street to find plenty to sketch: shop fronts, ornamental street lamps, wrought iron railings and red telephone boxes - all were full of London character and a challenge to draw. I drew on building sites, in barbers shops, in parks and squares. I stood on street corners and outside tube stations recording the life of the street.” (Michael Leonard)
To enquire about this work, click HERE
Pencil on paper, titled (lower left), 25cm x 40cm, (33cm x 48cm framed), £4,000
“When I was a student there in the fifties, the Art School was located in Charing Cross Road… I only had to step into the street to find plenty to sketch: shop fronts, ornamental street lamps, wrought iron railings and red telephone boxes - all were full of London character and a challenge to draw. I drew on building sites, in barbers shops, in parks and squares. I stood on street corners and outside tube stations recording the life of the street.” (Michael Leonard)
To enquire about this work, click HERE
Pencil on paper, titled (lower left) and inscribed with artist’s notes (upper right), 25cm x 40cm, (33cm x 48cm framed), £4,000
“When I was a student there in the fifties, the Art School was located in Charing Cross Road… I only had to step into the street to find plenty to sketch: shop fronts, ornamental street lamps, wrought iron railings and red telephone boxes - all were full of London character and a challenge to draw. I drew on building sites, in barbers shops, in parks and squares. I stood on street corners and outside tube stations recording the life of the street.” (Michael Leonard)
To enquire about this work, click HERE
Pen and ink, watercolour and gouache on paper, studio stamp (verso), 15cm x 13.5cm, (50cm x 40cm in mount), unframed, £1,750
This early work by Michael Leonard, comes directly from the artist’s studio.
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Dr Martin’s watercolour, signed (verso), 27cm x 49cm (42cm x 59.4cm (A2) in mount), unframed, £2,000
Original artwork for the book ‘A Good Age’, Crown Publishing, 1977. “In 1976 the publishers Mitchell Beazley commissioned me to illustrate A Good Age, Dr Alex Comfort’s primer on how to grow old gracefully. Drawing on a wide range of photographic reference, I produced a number of portraits of well known people who had managed to retain their vigour well into old age. Once again I used Dr Martin’s Watercolours, a brush and liberal amounts of water to create a set of vignettes that could comfortably be integrated with blocks of text.” (Michael Leonard)
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Dr Martin's watercolour, signed (verso), 33cm x 28cm (50cm x 40cm in mount), unframed, £2,000
Original artwork for the book ‘A Good Age’, Crown Publishing, 1977. “In 1976 the publishers Mitchell Beazley commissioned me to illustrate A Good Age, Dr Alex Comfort’s primer on how to grow old gracefully. Drawing on a wide range of photographic reference, I produced a number of portraits of well known people who had managed to retain their vigour well into old age. Once again I used Dr Martin’s Watercolours, a brush and liberal amounts of water to create a set of vignettes that could comfortably be integrated with blocks of text.” (Michael Leonard)
If you have any queries about this work, or would like images of the work emailed to you, please click HERE
Dr Martin's watercolour, 20cm x 46cm, (42cm x 59.4cm (A2) in mount), unframed, £1,000
Most famous for his portrait of HM Queen Elizabeth II in the National Portrait Gallery, London, this drawing is an original illustration from a book entitled ‘A Good Age’.
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Dr Martin's watercolour, signed (verso), 33cm x 25cm, (50cm x 40cm in mount), unframed, £1,750
Original artwork for the book ‘A Good Age’, Crown Publishing, 1977. “In 1976 the publishers Mitchell Beazley commissioned me to illustrate A Good Age, Dr Alex Comfort’s primer on how to grow old gracefully. Drawing on a wide range of photographic reference, I produced a number of portraits of well known people who had managed to retain their vigour well into old age. Once again I used Dr Martin’s Watercolours, a brush and liberal amounts of water to create a set of vignettes that could comfortably be integrated with blocks of text.” (Michael Leonard)
If you have any queries about this work, or would like images of the work emailed to you, please click HERE
Dr Martin’s watercolour, signed (verso), 33cm x 21cm (50cm x 40cm in mount), unframed, £1,750
Original artwork for the book ‘A Good Age’, Crown Publishing, 1977. “In 1976 the publishers Mitchell Beazley commissioned me to illustrate A Good Age, Dr Alex Comfort’s primer on how to grow old gracefully. Drawing on a wide range of photographic reference, I produced a number of portraits of well known people who had managed to retain their vigour well into old age. Once again I used Dr Martin’s Watercolours, a brush and liberal amounts of water to create a set of vignettes that could comfortably be integrated with blocks of text.” (Michael Leonard)
If you have any queries about this work, or would like images of the work emailed to you, please click HERE