Leon Kossoff would traverse the city limits of London for inspiration, and when captivated by a certain building, tube station or bustling street, he would document the location through drawings or paintings done in situ. But, he didn’t always have to venture very far from home to find a stimulating subject. 

Train tracks run directly behind the artist’s London abode, and as trains passed by, Kossoff would hurriedly attempt to capture these fast moving locomotives. The drawing above illustrates the brisk fashion in which these drawings were made (see additional images of the actual train tracks and a portrait of the artist with the train passing behind).

This drawing, along with 40 more drawings and 7 paintings that depict London, are on view in our current exhibition “Leon Kossoff: London Landscapes” – now in its final week and ends Saturday, March 1st.

Click here for more images of works and exhibition installation photography from “London Landscapes." 

IMAGES (top to bottom): Photo by Pierre Picot, 1997; Portrait of Leon Kossoff, photo by Toby Glanville; Leon Kossoff, "Train by Night no.2,” 1980