William R. Leigh (1866-1955) Leigh created hundreds of paintings of the West. A highly trained and skilled artist, he earned the title of the Sagebrush Rembrandt for his meticulous attention to detail, painstaking draftsmanship, skillful rendering of dazzling light, and unorthodox use of vivid color. Painting from life, in some of the most formidable terrains Leigh wanted to capture the disappearing western landscape.
It's been noted that he never went anywhere with out a sketch box and would do numerous studies of any theme that interested him. His travels lead him to Africa to create plein air paintings of the Serengeti Plains that would serve as the basis of dioramas at the American Museum of Natural History in New York
Northern Waso Nyiro Waterhole Oil on canvas panel, 12 x 16
Now I know I have dealt with bugs, gnats and other buzzing biting
things. Even the unwanted interruptions of fellow humans, but never have felt the need for armed protection while I painted.
Leigh was an extraordinary artist who would fearlessly go anywhere for inspiration.
He lived an amazing adventurous life and was a true artist.
He lived an amazing adventurous life and was a true artist.
Explore - Question - Learn - - Enjoy, Jim
The Outdoor Studies of William R. Leigh
Hunt, David C., “W. R. Leigh: A Painter in Africa,” in William R. Leigh: African Landscapes
Gerald Peters Gallery, New York, 1998.
Natural History, African Number, Journal of the American Museum of Natural History, November-December 1927.
Tillenius, Clarence, “African Scenes by William R. Leigh: The Explorers Journal, Volume 65 Number 2, June 1987.
