Jos Leonard
1892 - 1957
Died in Elsene (Belgium), born in Antwerp (Belgium).
From quite early on, Jos Leonard was well acquainted with the avant-garde in Europe. With Jozef Peeters he co-founds the group Moderne Kunst in 1918. There are notable influences of De Stijl and Russian constructivists both in Leonard’s paintings and his graphic works. The quest for pictorial efficiency that radiates from this work, will eventually lead him away from painting. After 1925, he opts - as do many East European constructivists - for ‘useful’ image reproduction; he then makes photomontages and becomes full-time designer of books and printed work.