1960s Barry Leighton Jones Original Oil on Canvas Signed Children Play on Old Car

Details

Description

48.0" W x 36.0" H x 1.0" D
Not wired
Good condition with minor wear

Having enjoyed initial fame for … Read more 48.0" W x 36.0" H x 1.0" D
Not wired
Good condition with minor wear

Having enjoyed initial fame for his depictions of tragicomic circus entertainers, listed artist Barry Leighton-Jones, among other subjects, later created a community of soulful children to populate his canvas. This rare and impressive genre scene is a real tribute to his talent and vision, and we have truly enjoyed having it in our collection.
Ten rowdy boys, one bookworm, an enamored girl... and lots of imagination... fill this entertaining composition. Each opportunity to study it yields new revelations and, of course, smiles.

Oil on canvas, stretched to a thin wood frame and signed by the artist in the lower right corner. It has minor bumps on the corners, and its large size would benefit structurally from a proper, rigid picture frame of your choosing. Overall, very good vintage condition.

Barry Leighton-Jones (1932–2011) was a British painter born in London and a direct descendant of the Victorian artist and Royal Academy president Lord Frederic Leighton. A gifted artist from an early age, he won a national art competition at just five years old. He studied for seven years at the Sidcup and Brighton Schools of Art and received private instruction from noted illustrator and Royal College of Art professor John Minton, whose influence shaped his expressive yet disciplined figurative style.

Leighton-Jones began his career in Britain before relocating to the United States in the mid-1980s, where he spent more than two decades producing paintings, limited-edition prints, collector plates, and figurines. His breakthrough came with a 1985 commission featuring clown Emmett Kelly, followed by celebrated series inspired by Gone with the Wind and The Wizard of Oz, as well as his portraits of notable figures including Albert Einstein, John Lennon, and Princess Diana.

Working in a style that combined classical realism with softly impressionistic backgrounds, Leighton-Jones created emotionally engaging scenes filled with warmth, nostalgia, and humanity. His favorite subjects included street children, clowns, pub characters, and everyday people, capturing both joy and quiet resilience.

His work is included in the permanent collection of the Herbert Art Gallery & Museum in Coventry, England, and has been widely exhibited and collected in both the United Kingdom and the United States. Through his paintings and popular limited editions, Barry Leighton-Jones built a lasting legacy as a master of figurative storytelling whose work continues to resonate with collectors worldwide. See less