Noel Leaver

Noel Leaver
Noel Harry Leaver painted by Leon Underwood in 1911
Born	(1889-03-23)23 March 1889 Austwick, West Riding of Yorkshire
Died	24 July 1951(1951-07-24) (aged 62)
Education	Burnley School of Art Royal College of Art
Known for	Painting

Noel Harry Leaver (23 March 1889 – 24 July 1951) was an English painter and teacher.

Early life and training

Leaver was born at the School House in Austwick, West Riding of Yorkshire where his father Peter was a teacher.^[1] Soon after the family returned to Worsthorne near Burnley in Lancashire. He was educated at St. James School and the Burnley School of Art. He won a National Scholarship to the Royal College of Art at age 16, receiving his full associateship at 21. Towards the end of this time he was awarded a Travelling Scholarship which enabled him to travel to Italy for 6 months (May - October 1911) where he studied painting and architecture. This was followed early the following year with a second travelling scholarship this time awarded by RIBA (Royal Institute of British Architects), the Owen Jones Studentship, which took him back to Italy and from there to North Africa (February - August 1912).^[2][3]

Work

Primarily a watercolourist, he was known for hot blue skies, often in contrast with shadowed buildings drawn from experience gained during his travels in Europe and North Africa.^[4] Leaver was also known for his paintings of English cathedrals.^[2]

He also taught at the Halifax School of Art (1912–15) and then the Burnley School of Art until the mid-1930s.

Sixty-one Noel Leaver watercolours were left to Towneley Hall by the late Dr Peter Bracewell.^[3]

References

1. artist page at haynesfineart.com Accessed 2010
2. Taylor, James S. (1983). Noel H Leaver 1889–1951. Burnley Borough Council.
3. Taylor, James S.; Kitto, Tony (2009). Noel H. Leaver (1889–1951) The Bracewell Collection. Burnley Borough Council and the Towneley Hall Society.
4. antiquesnews.co.uk Accessed 2010

External links

• noelharryleaver.com - Bio and Gallery