Biography

The gallery regularly handles, acquires and advises on works by Leon Kossoff. For more information or the availability of work, please contact the gallery.

Leon Kossoff (1926 - 2019)

Leon Kossoff was born in 1926 to Russian-Jewish immigrant in the East End of London. He trained at the Royal College of Art and Saint Martin's School of Art. He took evening classes under David Bomberg between 1950 and 1952, which were also attended by fellow student Frank Auerbach with whom his work has natural affinities. Throughout his career, Kossoff has been drawn to London as his primary subject matter alongside figure paintings of friends and family. Cityscapes of railways, demolition sites, local monuments and Underground stations painted in dense, heavily worked impasto, emphasising light, form and structure are among his most iconic works. Kossoff was elected to the London group in 1962. He represented Britain at the Venice Biennale in 1995 and held major solo exhibitions at the Whitechapel in 1972, the Tate Gallery in 1996, and the National Gallery, London, in 2007. 

 

Works
  • dark charcoal portrait of a man in a wheelchair by Leon Kossoff
    Young Man Seated, 1961
  • Leon Kossoff, A ward in a London hospital No. 1, 1965
    A ward in a London hospital No. 1, 1965
  • Leon Kossoff, Dalston Lane, Summer, 1974
    Dalston Lane, Summer, 1974
  • Leon Kossoff, Fidelma in a Red Chair, 1981
    Fidelma in a Red Chair, 1981
  • Leon Kossoff, Head of Father (79) No. 1, 1982
    Head of Father (79) No. 1, 1982
  • Leon Kossoff, From Goya, 'Auto de Fe', 1994
    From Goya, 'Auto de Fe', 1994
  • Leon Kossoff, King's Cross, Summer, 1998
    King's Cross, Summer, 1998
  • Leon Kossoff, Seated Figure No. 1, 1958
    Seated Figure No. 1, 1958
  • Leon Kossoff, Christchurch, Spitalfields, 1989
    Christchurch, Spitalfields, 1989
  • Leon Kossoff, City Building Site, 1961
    City Building Site, 1961
  • Leon Kossoff, Self-Portrait, 1971
    Self-Portrait, 1971
  • Leon Kossoff, Portrait of Chaim No. 2, 1987
    Portrait of Chaim No. 2, 1987
  • Leon Kossoff, Cherry Tree, and Tube Train, 2007-08
    Cherry Tree, and Tube Train, 2007-08
  • Leon Kossoff, Heinz Propper, 1997
    Heinz Propper, 1997
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