The huge exhibition will begin next month
Williamson Art Gallery in Birkenhead(Image: Colin Lane/Liverpool Echo)
A Merseyside art gallery is set to present the largest ever exhibition of work by one of the most important British artists of the 20th century. Leonard McComb: Nature and Humanity will include the best works from the artist’s estate, as well as choice loans from public and private collections, bringing together 60 of the artist’s best pieces.
This will include ‘Rock and Sea Anglesey’, from Oriel Môn, which, measuring over 10 metres long, is the largest drawing on paper held by any UK public collection.
The exhibition will run at Williamson Art Gallery and Museum in Birkenhead from Friday, August 14 until Saturday, October 31.
There will also be a selection of choice loans from Manchester Art Gallery and the Royal Academy.
Leonard McComb received acclaim and accolades during his career for his work in different mediums including painting, drawing and sculpture.
Portrait of the artist’s mother
This exhibition at the Williamson will have a particular focus on McComb’s ecological outlook, which can be found throughout his work.
Curator Josh Mackarell said: “We are delighted to be able to bring this major exhibition of an important and celebrated artist to Merseyside.
“McComb’s work is not just relevant to our modern times for its beauty and technical brilliance, but also because its environmental outlook speaks to the fundamental debates of our time.”
The exhibition will open on Friday, August 14 2026 and run until Saturday, October 31.
The loans are supported by the Weston Loan Programme with Art Fund. Created by the Garfield Weston Foundation and Art Fund, the Weston Loan Programme is the first ever UK-wide funding scheme to enable smaller and local authority museums to borrow works of art and artefacts from national collections.
The exhibition is a collaboration with Art Space Gallery|Michael Richardson Contemporary Art, and the Estate of Leonard McComb RA.
More information can be found on the Williamson website.