Claire Leighton (British-American)

Born 1901, London
Dies 1988, Connecticut

Claire Leighton was educated in England, finishing her art training at the Slade School, University of London in 1923.  She later received an honorary D.F.A. from Colby College (Waterville, Maine) in 1940. She is known for her work as a wood engraver and a writer. She immigrated to the United States in 1938 and later became a citizen.

After learning wood engraving in 1922, she soon was commissioned to illustrate books, such as “The Return of the Native” by Hardy and “Wuthering Heights” by Bronte. (One could find great pleasure comparing her illustrations for Bronte with those of Fritz Eichenberg.) She wrote “Woodcuts and Wood Engraving”, illustrated with her own engravings. Eventually she wrote and illustrated some 14 books of her own and illustrated some 50 others.

In the United States, she was part of the rebirth of wood engraving, with peers such as Rockwell Kent, Fritz Eichenberg and Thomas Nason also practicing in the medium. The detail of her work indicated a mastery, the subject matter shows an understanding of the simpler life of other times.

Her work is held in many well known public institutions and her exhibition record was capped by a major retrospective at the Boston Public Library in 1977.

Note: Some references list her year of birth as 1899. We are following Falk in using 1901.