Featured John Leech ink and watercolour drawings

Discussion in 'Art' started by Chinoiserie, Aug 9, 2025.

  1. Chinoiserie

    Chinoiserie Well-Known Member

    I picked these two up at the market today. They look like original hand coloured ink drawings. They have labels on the back referring to J Leech, John Leech I think. No signatures visible though. At first I thought that they must be engravings of the originals but on closer inspection, they are different to the version I can see online. Maybe someone has copied them by hand of maybe Mr Leech painted two or more different versions?

    IMG_20250809_180039106_copy_3590x2703.jpg IMG_20250809_180049050_copy_2526x1902.jpg IMG_20250809_180117094_copy_2679x3558.jpg IMG_20250809_180136362_copy_3615x2722.jpg IMG_20250809_180139366_copy_2440x1837.jpg IMG_20250809_180143594_copy_2338x1760.jpg IMG_20250809_180150523_copy_2516x3342.jpg IMG_20250809_180105667_copy_2497x1880.jpg
     
  2. Debora

    Debora Well-Known Member

    Different from the originals in what way?

    Debora
     
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  3. Chinoiserie

    Chinoiserie Well-Known Member

    Okay. Here's one from the illustrated book they were published in.. The horse riders hat is pulled over his eyes jn the one published online. The sign above door is different. Have s look. Lots of details are different as if it's a completely different drawing.

    Screenshot_20250809-184119.Chrome.png
     
    Last edited: Aug 9, 2025
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  4. komokwa

    komokwa The Truth is out there...!

    that's expensive framing..
     
  5. Debora

    Debora Well-Known Member

    Could it be that the hand-coloring is accounting for the differences you're seeing?

    Debora
     
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  6. Chinoiserie

    Chinoiserie Well-Known Member

    Thanks for looking. That had crossed my mind. However the letters on the sign above the door are different. The dogs tail bottom right is shaped differently, the man's head in the door way is completely different. Also the signature which is in the book bottom left, is absent from mine.

    On the other drawing the shrub under the horse which is in pen, is different.

    IMG_20250809_195511990_copy_3072x4080.jpg IMG_20250809_195523647_copy_3072x4080.jpg IMG_20250809_195531790_copy_3072x4080.jpg IMG_20250809_195551752_copy_3072x4080.jpg IMG_20250809_200021263_copy_2178x2893.jpg
     
    Last edited: Aug 9, 2025
  7. charlie cheswick

    charlie cheswick Well-Known Member

    its a tricky one to tell for sure, and doesn't really make a lot of sense.........but think its actually is drawn (ink) theres quite a few subtle differences, and the ink looks strong..................i reckon though someone might have drawn the ink over the original print .........maybe ;)
     
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  8. charlie cheswick

    charlie cheswick Well-Known Member

    the title that is shown, definitely looks to have come from a print
     
  9. Chinoiserie

    Chinoiserie Well-Known Member

    Possibly. Don't know how the signature would get absent though or the writing would be different. Maybe Mr Leech liked it so much he painted it twice.

    There might be another Mona Lisa floating about somewhere. :rolleyes:
     
  10. Chinoiserie

    Chinoiserie Well-Known Member

    It does. Could have been added during the framing process. The framers only came into existence in the late 1980s. Much later than they say the drawing was produced, if we are to believe the label.
     
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  11. charlie cheswick

    charlie cheswick Well-Known Member

    or maybe the artist did the ink himself over a print, theres a guy in our village who does the same, just to save time
     
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  12. Chinoiserie

    Chinoiserie Well-Known Member

    You are a man of fine taste sir!
     
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  13. komokwa

    komokwa The Truth is out there...!

    I've assisted in framing hundreds of fine art prints...;)
     
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  14. Chinoiserie

    Chinoiserie Well-Known Member

    Well curiosity got the better of me and I cracked one open. No sign of a siggy anywhere. Might be one on the back of it but it's stuck fast to some crude parchment stuff. Presumably from when it was framed. Not much point in cracking the other open as I'm pretty sure that I will find the same.

    IMG_20250809_205407223_copy_2738x2061.jpg IMG_20250809_205444656_copy_3611x2719.jpg
     
  15. komokwa

    komokwa The Truth is out there...!

    looks like handmade paper..
     
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  16. Chinoiserie

    Chinoiserie Well-Known Member

    Yes it's quite crude. It's got lumps o wood in it.
     
  17. Aquitaine

    Aquitaine Is What It IS! But NEVER BORED!

    But the 3 & 4 areas I circled look like they may have potential written areas inside them???? IMG_4363.jpeg
     
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  18. Chinoiserie

    Chinoiserie Well-Known Member

    I'll have a look. There might be a monogram somewhere. The original from the book had the signature in the centre just underneath the art work.
     
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  19. Chinoiserie

    Chinoiserie Well-Known Member

    Maybe this could be something. I'd kind of expect the same siggy to be on the other drawing too though?

    IMG_20250810_221403662~2_copy_3072x4080.jpg
     
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