Leon Vilaincour

Leon Vilaincour is an artist who was born in 1923 in Krakow, Poland. He moved to the United Kingdom at the start of World War II and settled in London. He taught Painting at the Chelsea School of Art in London, and the Central School of Arts and Crafts (now known as Central St Martins), where he met his wife, the painter and wood carver Roberta Cameron Smith.

His large oeuvre consists primarily of oil paintings and water colours. His stylistic development spans many decades with increasingly dramatic use of colour and abstract imagery. European culture and history play a large part in his work, for example there is extensive reference to the Napoleonic era and the early 20th Century. Recurring themes also include Viennese cafe culture, French music, and visual motifs such as screens of irridescent pearls. Two of his oil paintings are part of the Tate collection and he has also exhibited in a number of galleries including the Serpentine in London.

http://www.tate.org.uk/art/artists/leon-vilaincour-2651

http://www.bbc.co.uk/arts/yourpaintings/artists/leon-julius-vilaincour