Leonard Walker
{{Short description|British painter}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=July 2020}}
{{Infobox person
| name = Leonard Walker
| image =
| caption =
| occupation = Painter
| birth_date = 10 March 1877
| birth_place = London, England
| death_date = {{death date and age|1964|6|13|1877|3|10|df=yes}}
| death_place = London, England
}}
Leonard Walker {{post-nominals|list=RBA RE RI }} (10 March 1877 – 13 June 1964) was a British painter and stained glass designer.{{cite web|url=https://collections.vam.ac.uk/item/O7432/panel-walker-leonard/|title=Panel 1913 (made)|website=V & A|access-date=25 October 2021}}{{cite book|url=https://www.oxfordartonline.com/benezit/view/10.1093/benz/9780199773787.001.0001/acref-9780199773787-e-00193821|title=Walker, Leonard|work=Benezit Dictionary of Artist|doi=10.1093/benz/9780199773787.article.B00193821|date=31 October 2011|isbn=978-0-19-977378-7}} His work was part of the painting event in the art competition at the 1928 Summer Olympics.{{cite web|url=https://www.olympedia.org/athletes/920559 |title=Leonard Walker |work=Olympedia |access-date=26 July 2020}}
Biography
Walker was a student at St John's Wood Art School, and would later teach and become Principal there.{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=m65FAAAAIAAJ&q=%22Leonard+Walker%22+painter|title=The Year's Art|date=1919|page=136}} Walker was elected a member of the Royal Society of British Artists in 1913, of the Royal Society of Painter-Etchers in 1915 and the Royal Institute of Painters in Water Colours,{{cite journal|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=xct1O4Kg7tgC&q=%22Leonard+Walker%22+artist|title=The Studio|volume=91|issue=397|page=xix|date=1926}} and exhibited at Walker Art Gallery, the Royal Academy of Arts{{cite web|url=https://chronicle250.com/index/exhibitors/w|title=Exhibitor Index|website=Chronicle 250|access-date=25 October 2021}} and the Royal Glasgow Institute of the Fine Arts. His work, A Bowl of Roses, was described by The Studio:{{cite magazine|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=1IE3EAAAQBAJ&dq=%22Leonard+Walker%22+painter&pg=PA86|title=The Studio: An Illustrated Magazine of Fine and Applied Art : vol. 69-72|isbn=9785043551436|last1=Авторов|first1=Коллектив|date=9 July 2021|publisher=Litres }}{{block quote|...an instructive example of the manner in which an unpretending subject can be dignified by sound craftsman and artistic resource. The artist's quietly confident draftsmanship and agreeable management of subdued yet effective colour give significance to a piece of work which in less able hands might easily have been trivial}}
His work as a stained glass artist was described in Modern Glass by Guillaume Janneau as:{{cite book|url= |title=Modern Glass|author=Janneau. G|date=1931|page=41}}{{block quote|The London artist has a remarkable gift for dramatic design. His "lead" outlines, which skilfully enhance the colours they frame, participate with amazing certainty in the general movement of the composition}} Walker collaborated with Gilbert Bayes, on Bayes' first commission at Aldeburgh Church in Suffolk.{{cite web|url=http://gilbertbayes.com/works.php|title=Bayes and the Arts and Crafts Movement|website=Gilbert Bayes|access-date=26 October 2021}} He was a member of the Worshipful Company of Glaziers{{cite web|url=http://glazierscompany.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/Glaziers-History-1919-to-1999-v2021.pdf|title=Glaziers History 1919 to 1999|website=Worshipful Company of Glaziers|access-date=26 October 2021}}
The Victoria and Albert Museum have a collection of Walker's work,{{cite web|url=https://collections.vam.ac.uk/search/?q=Walker%2c%20Leonard |title=Leonard Walker|website=V & A|access-date=26 October 2021}} while examples of his windows can be seen at All Saints, East Tuddenham, Norfolk,{{cite web|url=http://www.norfolkchurches.co.uk/easttuddenham/easttuddenham.htm|title=All Saints, East Tuddenham|website=Norfolk Churches|access-date=26 October 2021}} St Ethelburga's Bishopsgate, London{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=gPc6ZYfPYPcC&dq=%22Leonard+Walker%22+painter&pg=PA34|title=Churches, Cathedrals and Chapels|author=Wittich. J|page=34|date=1988|publisher=Gracewing |isbn=9781850744474}} and the East window at St Peter & St Paul, Tonbridge's Parish Church, which Gordon Rowe in The Daily Telegraph in 1955 described it as:{{cite web|url=https://tonbridgeparishchurch.org.uk/Groups/276588/The_East_Window.aspx|title=The East Window|website=Tonbridge Parish Church|access-date=26 October 2021}} {{block quote|to me this window is more than an unusually beautiful creation. It unfolds its message with a heartfelt prayer}} His later glass work was executed by James Powell and Sons.{{cite web|url=http://stainedglass.llgc.org.uk/person/576|title=Leonard Walker (1879-1965)|website=Stained Glass in Wales - University of Wales|access-date=25 October 2021}} In 1930, he presented The Future of Stained Glass at the Exposition internationale des arts décoratifs et industriels moderne.{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=p2ueYgEACAAJ&q=%22Leonard+Walker%22+painter|title=The Future of Stained Glass|author=Walker. L|date=1930}}
In 1939, Walker was selected as one of the artists to work on the National Gallery's project "Recording Britain:the changing face of Britain" established by Sir Kenneth Clark, with "Foundling Hospital, London" being one of his contributions.{{cite web|url=https://collections.vam.ac.uk/item/O596638/foundling-hospital-watercolour-walker/|title=Foundling Hospital|website=V & A|access-date=25 October 2021}}{{cite magazine|url=https://www.countrylife.co.uk/out-and-about/theatre-film-music/book-review-recording-britain-15644|title=Book review: Recording Britain|magazine=Country Life|date=4 November 2011}}
He was elected the Master of the Art Workers' Guild in 1950,{{cite web|url=https://www.britishmuseum.org/collection/term/BIOG50219|title=Leonard Walker|website=The British Museum|access-date=25 October 2021}} previously being Master of the Junior Art Workers' Guild in 1905.{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=jJ5FAAAAIAAJ&q=%22Leonard+Walker%22+art+workers+guild|title=The Year's Art|date=1906|page=143}} Walker was married to fellow artist Aileen Hollely{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=KYBmAAAAMAAJ&q=%22Leonard+Walker%22+painter|title=The Women's Who's Who|date=1934|page=385}} and his uncle was Frederick Walker.{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=LOxPAAAAMAAJ&q=%22+Leonard+walker%22+painter|title=Artists' Houses in London 1764-1914|author=Walkley. Giles|date=1993|page=247|publisher=Scolar Press |isbn=9780859679626}}
In 2014, the Stained Glass Museum, Ely, held an exhibition of Walker's work.{{cite web|url=https://stainedglassmuseum.com/exhibitionspast|title=Leonard Walker (1877-1964): A Glass World|website=Stained Glass Museum |access-date=25 October 2021}}
List of Works
{{incompletelist|date=January 2023}}
- All Saints' Church, East Tuddenham, Norfolk (Faith, Hope and Charity){{Cite web |title=Norfolk Churches |url=http://www.norfolkchurches.co.uk/easttuddenham/easttuddenham.htm |access-date=2025-01-15 |website=www.norfolkchurches.co.uk}}
- St. Michael's Church, Geldeston, Norfolk
- St. Andrew's Church, Kilverstone, Norfolk{{Cite web |title=Norfolk Churches |url=http://www.norfolkchurches.co.uk/kilverstone/kilverstone.htm |access-date=2025-06-07 |website=www.norfolkchurches.co.uk}}
References
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Category:20th-century British painters
Category:British male painters
Category:Art competitors at the 1928 Summer Olympics
Category:Masters of the Art Worker's Guild