Biography

Claire Leighton was an artist, writer and illustrator best known for her wood engravings. Leighton was born in London and studied at the Slade School of Fine Art and the Central School of Arts and Crafts where she studied wood engraving under Noel Rooke. The subjects and scenes depicted in Leighton's prints centre around rural life with an emphasis on those who worked the land. After travelling to the United States for a series of lectures, Leighton emigrated and became a naturalised citizen, remaining in Woodbury, Connecticut. She wrote and illustrated various books about the countryside, and was commissioned to create designs for Steuben Glass, Wedgewood, and stained glass windows for churches in New England.