Born in Dublin in 1881, William John Leech considered himself an Irish painter although most of his career was spent abroad. He completed his training at the Academie Julian in Paris and painted in Brittany from 1903. While his early interior views and portraits reflect the tonal influence of Whistler, about 1910 he began to use a brighter, Post-impressionist palette. The later Brittany canvases are flooded with light and colour.

During this period, his first wife Elizabeth Kerlin was the model in a number of exciting and experimental works such as Convent Garden, Brittany (National Gallery of Ireland). After the First World War, Leech divided his time between London and the South of France, travelling with his companion and later wife May Botterell. In the tradition of the 'Irish Impressionists' he was fascinated by the treatment of light in French painting, though he continued to explore different styles through his career. Leech painted portraits, landscapes and still lifes, including remarkable self-portraits, interiors and luxuriant aloes.

Throughout his life he regularly exhibited in Ireland and England. The majority of his paintings are still in private hands and little known. This retrospective catalogue documents his reclusive life and confirms his place as a major Irish artist.