William John Leech (1881-1968)

William Leech was an Irish painter and illustrator whose works featured a wide range of outdoor and indoor subjects, including coastal and harbour scenes, landscapes, interiors, still life and portraits. Leech is noted as a strong colourist and was influenced by both the Impressionists* (such as Monet and Cezanne), and Post-Impressionist* painters (like Matisse and Van Gogh).

Born in Dublin, William John Leech absorbed drawing and fine art painting at the Dublin Metropolitan School of Art before transferring to the Royal Hibernian Academy* where he studied under the Irish Impressionist landscape painter Walter Osborne. In 1903, he left Dublin to paint in Paris and became inspired by t...