Memorial Portrait of John Burns (1858–1943)
Oil painting by George W. Leech depicting a Memorial Portrait of John Burns (1858–1943). 1943.
Half length portrait of John Burns in semi profile looking towards the right. Wearing black jacket, white shirt and black tie. Hands holding the jacket lapels.
In the background there is a view of the Battersea stretch of the River Thames with the Albert Bridge.
John Elliot Burns (1858–1943) was a Trade Unionist, Politician, and Social Reformer.
A leading figure in London politics, Burns was deeply connected to Battersea, where he championed working-class rights. Beginning as a socialist, he later served as a Liberal Member of Parliament and became President of the Local Government Board. Burns was one of the first working-class MPs, advocating for public health, housing reform, and municipal socialism, leaving a lasting legacy in British social and political history.
Artist Biography
George W. Leech 1894–1966 Painter and Etcher George William Leech was a British artist whose work captured the character of London’s neighbourhoods and public figures in the early to mid-20th century. Trained at Lambeth and Putney Schools of Art, and later at South Kensington on a London County Council scholarship, Leech developed a distinctive style rooted in observation and local identity. He exhibited widely, including at the Royal Academy and the Royal Institute of Painters in Water Colours, and worked as a magazine art editor. His connection to Wandsworth is reflected in works held by the borough, including this 1943 memorial portrait of politician John Burns.
Copyright Holder
copyright: the copyright holder
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