William Leech, R.H.A.

The Dawson Gallery, Dublin;
Private collection

The board appears to be sound and the work in very good overall condition. Under ultraviolet light there appear to be no signs of retouching. Held under glass in box wood frame; unexamined out of frame.
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From the pattern of diamond leaded lights, the present Windowsill belongs to the latter period of Leech's painting life when he had moved to Candy Cottage, Off the Street, West Clandon, Surrey in 1958. "It was an idyllic Tudor-style cottage with diamond-paned mullioned windows with climbing roses over the trelliswork, and the bird bath, from Steele's Studios was given pride of place in the garden. Leech spent his days either outside in the garden or inside in a new studio he had built onto a corner of the house." When the weather prevented painting en plein air, Leech worked in his new studio and continued the practice first begun when he lived in Abbey Road and painted in Steele's Studio, Haverstock Hill, London, from 1928 until 1942. Here he painted bunches of flowers in a vase on the window sill, capturing light and colour and the present work is similar to The House Opposite or Still-life with Chinese Lanterns all painted during this period, 1958-1963.

We are grateful to Dr Denise Ferran for kindly preparing this catalogue entry.