Leicester Galleries

Leicester Galleries was a prominent London art gallery that operated from 1902 to 1977, distinguished by its sustained promotion of modern British, French, and international artists. Founded in Leicester Square, it became a significant venue for introducing avant-garde and emerging artists to British audiences, hosting over 1,400 exhibitions during its seventy-five-year existence. The gallery's name was acquired in 1984 by art dealer Peter Nahum, who continues to operate Peter Nahum at the Leicester Galleries in Mayfair, maintaining a connection to the original institution's legacy.

In July 1902, Cecil and Wilfred Phillips opened a gallery in Leicester Square. Ernest Brown joined the following year, and the enterprise became Ernest Brown and Phillips Ltd, operating under the name Leicester Galleries. The gallery relocated twice during its history, first to South Audley Street and subsequently to Cork Street in Mayfair. The final exhibition under the original Leicester Galleries name took place in July 1975, and the business continued to trade until 1977. In 1984, Peter Nahum acquired the gallery name and established Peter Nahum at the Leicester Galleries in Mayfair, preserving the brand's association with art dealing in London's West End.

Leicester Galleries specialised in modern British and French art, with a broad international outlook. The works exhibited encompassed drawings, watercolours, paintings, prints, and sculptures. The gallery developed a particularly notable programme for identifying and promoting emerging talent through its annual Artists of Fame and Promise exhibition, which provided a platform for artists at early stages of their careers. This dual commitment to established modernists and promising newcomers shaped the gallery's distinctive character within London's art market.

The gallery exhibited works by significant modern British and French painters including John Lavery, Robert Medley, Mark Gertler, and Henry Moore. It played a pioneering role in bringing major European modernists to British audiences: Henri Matisse, Pablo Picasso, and Camille Pissarro all held their first solo exhibitions in England at Leicester Galleries. The German-born artist Suzanne Eisendieck also received her first English solo show there. Among emerging British artists, the gallery early exhibited William Roberts, Christopher Nevinson, David Bomberg, and Jacob Epstein. Beyond fine art, Leicester Galleries was instrumental in advancing the careers of illustrators Arthur Rackham and Edmund Dulac. The complete exhibition history comprises 1,422 catalogued shows, each documented in printed form by Ernest Brown & Phillips Ltd.

The gallery began in Leicester Square in London's West End, a location that placed it at the heart of the city's entertainment and commercial district. Its subsequent moves to South Audley Street and then to Cork Street in Mayfair reflected both the gallery's growing status and the shifting geography of London's art world, with Mayfair becoming established as a centre for prestigious commercial galleries. The current Peter Nahum at the Leicester Galleries continues to operate in Mayfair, maintaining the gallery's presence in this distinguished location.

The original Leicester Galleries closed in 1977 after its final exhibition in July 1975. The name now belongs to Peter Nahum at the Leicester Galleries, operated by Peter Nahum in Mayfair, London. This contemporary gallery, established in 1984, carries forward the Leicester Galleries name though it represents a separate commercial entity from the original Ernest Brown and Phillips Ltd operation. No information is available regarding public access arrangements or specific visiting hours for the current Mayfair premises.