Jim Leon (1938–2002) — Original Ink Drawing Titled "flowers"

"Flowers" Original work by Jim Leon, a major British artist in the Lyon art scene of the 1960s and 1970s.

Ink drawing on paper, created in his highly personal graphic style, blending fantastic figuration, surrealism, botanical imagery, and a psychedelic universe. The composition, particularly rich and expressive, demonstrates the artist’s graphic virtuosity and his penchant for organic and imaginary forms.

Jim Leon moved to Lyon in 1960 and quickly became a leading figure in Lyon’s art scene. His career extended far beyond the region: he also worked in the British and American art and underground scenes and maintained close ties with the psychedelic scene of the late 1960s.

His career also included collaborations with Roger Planchon, Marcel Maréchal, and Jacques Demy, for whom he notably contributed to the design of the poster and set decorations for the 1970 film Peau d’Âne.

In 2005, Jim Leon was the subject of a major retrospective exhibition at the Maison Ravier in Morestel: “Anathèmes et billets doux.”

Held from March 6 to May 29, 2005, this exhibition brought together nearly 70 paintings and drawings, spanning the period 1960–1996.

Our drawing comes from this May 2005 exhibition at Maison Ravier, which lends it additional significance in terms of provenance and documentation. The citation should naturally be accompanied, if available, by supporting documentation or a reference to the exhibition catalog.

Maison Ravier describes Leon as an artist whose work is immediately recognizable and characterizes his art as “surrealist expressionism”, bordering on psychedelia. It also highlights his “exceptional imagination” and his “masterful craftsmanship.”

Jim Leon is represented in several public collections, notably at the Lyon Museum of Fine Arts and in the municipal collections of Vénissieux. A work by the artist is also housed at the Maison Ravier.

The Lyon Museum of Fine Arts had acquired a work by Jim Leon as early as 1963, reflecting the early recognition of his work.

The market for Jim Leon’s work remains relatively niche today, but some major paintings are already fetching several thousand euros. Notably, a large oil on canvas from 1964–1965 sold for €4,500 in Lyon.

The original drawings constitute a particularly interesting part of his body of work, notably for their graphic quality and their ability to convey the artist’s fantastical and psychedelic universe.

An original work, documented, and originating from an exhibition dedicated to the artist, therefore represents a particularly attractive opportunity for a collector of Jim Leon, postwar Lyon art, or psychedelic art from the 1960s–1970s.

Jim Leon (1938–2002), a British artist based in Lyon, is now highly sought after for his unique artistic universe at the crossroads of Expressionism, Surrealism, and psychedelia.