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William Leighton Leitch Biography

William Leighton Leitch (2 Nov 1804 – 25 April 1883) was a  Scottish landscape watercolor painter and illustrator.

Early Life Of Leighton

Leitch was born in Glasgow. Leitch gradually inclined towards art, since his father wanted him to take up the profession of a lawyer, he used to practice drawing hiding from his father especially during the night.

William Leighton Leitch Biography
William Leighton Leitch

After completing his general education, he started working in a lawyer’s office but soon started pursuing his love for drawing by becoming an apprentice to a house-painter and decorator.

William Leighton Leitch facts

In 1824 he professionally started his career as a scene-painter at the Theatre Royal, Glasgow. He continued to work in the theatre at Glasgow and soon moved to London, where he was employed as a scene-painter at the Queen’s Theatre. Leitch died in April 1883 at his home in St. John’s Wood.

Career Of Leighton Leitch

 n 1832 he after exhibited his two drawings at the Society of British Artists. He traveled throughout the continent in 1833 visiting  Netherlands, Germany, Switzerland, and Italy.
He had visited many cities in Italy and made numerous sketches there and in Sicily. He was also a great teacher and had many members of the elite class amongst his pupils.
William Leighton Leitch
View above the Capua, Southern Italy;

He was introduced to Queen Victoria by Lady Canning and became the drawing master to her majesty and the royal family for 22 years. The Princess of Wales was his last pupil.

The Royal Academy exhibited his paintings between 1841 and 1861, and in 1862 was elected a member of the Institute of Painters in Watercolours (RI).  He served as the society’s vice-president for 20 years.

Works and Style Of Work Leighton Leitch

Leitch developed his mastery in watercolors. He profoundly studied nature and was very much inspired by Turner.

William Leighton Leitch Work

His works are a beautiful amalgamation of pure color and creative composition. Like Turner, he showed brilliant effects of atmosphere and painted beautiful natural colors of the sky.

Some of his famous works are :

Giovanni Lorenzo, Vatican,1835

The Pantheon of Rome,1835

Pantheon In the Rome

The square of the Fountain, Adrianople,1839

Peel Castle 1835

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