Birkenhead’s Williamson Art Gallery & Museum is preparing to host a landmark event as it presents the largest ever exhibition of work by one of the most important British artists of the 20th century, Leonard McComb.
Leonard McComb: Nature and Humanity will include works from the artist’s estate alongside choice loans from major public and private collections.
Over 60 pieces, including paintings, watercolour, drawings, and sculpture, will be brought together for the showcase.
A highlight of the exhibition is ‘Rock and Sea Anglesey’ from Oriel Môn; measuring over 10 metres long, it is the largest drawing on paper held by any UK public collection.
Major Loans and Ecological Focus
The exhibition is a collaboration with Art Space Gallery, Michael Richardson Contemporary Art, and the Estate of Leonard McComb RA, with loans supported by the Weston Loan Programme with Art Fund.
This funding scheme enables smaller and local authority museums to borrow significant works from national collections, including selections from Manchester Art Gallery and the Royal Academy.
Leonard McComb RA (1930-2018) received acclaim throughout his career for his mastery across different mediums.
This exhibition at the Williamson will have a particular focus on McComb’s ecological outlook.
Whether portrait, still life, landscape, or sculpture, his work demonstrates his beliefs on the beauty, energy, and interconnectedness of all life.
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.”
Visiting the Exhibition
The exhibition will open on Friday, 14 August 2026 and run until Saturday, 31 October.
It offers a unique opportunity for visitors in the Liverpool City Region to experience the technical brilliance and environmental message of McComb’s work in a local setting.
By bringing together such a vast collection of his most significant pieces, the Williamson Art Gallery & Museum continues to cement its reputation as a key cultural destination for major retrospective exhibitions on the Wirral.
