Leech painted portraits, landscapes and still lifes, including remarkable self-portraits, interiors and luxuriant aloes. Throughout his life he regularly exhibited in Ireland and England. The majority of his paintings are still in private hands and little known. This retrospective catalogue documents his reclusive life and confirms his place as a major Irish artist.
A'Beckett and Leech were original contributors to "Punch, or the London Charivari" magazine, established 1841. It became the famous "Punch" magazine and remained in publication to 2002. A'Beckett also wrote editorials for a similar concept magazine, "Figaro in London" that ceased publication in 1839. "In commencing this work, the object of the Author was, as he stated in the Prospectus, to blend amusement with instruction, by serving up, in as palatable a shape as he could, the facts of English History. He pledged himself not to sacrifice the substance to the seasoning; and though he has certainly been a little free in the use of his sauce, he hopes that he has not produced a mere hash on the present occasion. His object has been to furnish something which may be allowed to take its place as a standing at the library table, and which, though light, may not be found devoid of nutriment."--Preface.
Combines essays, bibliographical descriptions, and 295 illustrations to chronicle a golden era in the art of the illustrated book. Artists range from Blake, Turner, Rowlandson, and Morris to Caldecott, Greenaway, Beardsley, and Rackham.
William Makepeace Thackeray immortalizes the memory of his lifelong friend in the novel "John Leech's Pictures of Life and Character". John Leech was a British caricaturist and illustrator. He was best known for his work for 'Punch', a humorous magazine for a broad middle-class audience, combining verbal and graphic political satire with light social comedy. Leech's critical yet humorous cartoons on the Crimean War (1853) helped shape public attitudes toward heroism, warfare, and Britons' role in the world. Leech also enjoyed fame as the first illustrator of Charles Dickens' 1843 novella 'A Christmas Carol'.
