Leonard McComb is distinguished for his diverse works across watercolours, oils, prints, and sculptures, notably featured in the Tate collection. Educated at Manchester School of Art and the Slade School of Fine Art (1956-1959), he later taught at prestigious institutions, such as the Royal College of Art and Goldsmiths College, and founded the Sunningwell School of Art in 1974. McComb participated in significant exhibitions, including The Human Clay at the Hayward Gallery in 1976. He was elected a Royal Academician in 1991 and Keeper of the Royal Academy in 1995, placing him in charge of the Royal Academy Schools until 1998. He held key positions in art societies, contributing richly to the art world until his passing in 2018.

McComb held the view that art's essence lies in capturing light's dynamic expression, which infuses life with vibrancy. His visits to Southern France in the mid-1980s deeply influenced his painting approach, shifting from the dimmer ambiance of Ireland and Northern England to the luminous Provencal light that also inspired Cezanne and Van Gogh. Through his work, light served as a simplifier, distilling subjects to their core forms.

“Yet, even in the simple paintings of a bowl of fruit or vase of flowers we can still see the intricacy of McComb’s particular gaze, probing and penetrating, seeking out through tiny tabs of colour that are each in a moment of inter-action and intimate connection with those around it, the inner vibration that is the proof of a life that is ‘full of unbelievable surprise’” *1.

*1Richard Davey, (2022) ‘Love Connecting Line and Colour’ in ‘Leonard McComb’, Beams Editions, p.184