Half Moon’s commitment to excellence extends beyond the gallery walls. Through a carefully managed drop shipping process, each reprint from our partnership with 1000Museums is produced to order and delivered directly to your door. This ensures museum-quality precision, sustainable fulfillment, and a flawless experience from selection to arrival.
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Inspired by events observed through a seafarer's watchful eye, Michael Lester (born Michał Leszczyński, 1906-1972) was a highly regarded artist and master mariner in interwar Poland. His passion for the sea and art was jettisoned by the devastating currents of World War II.
Finding himself without a homeland, Great Britain became Lester's adopted country. In wartime United Kingdom he served with dedication in the Merchant Navy and the Royal Fleet Auxiliary, simultaneously establishing his artistic career. Seraching for his own haven and fresh inspiration, he set sail to Jamaica in 1952, where he built anew. Influenced by rhythmic, easy-going cadences amdist vibrant Caribbean colors, Lester developed an enduring style known for bold strokes and flowing lines. Honoring a relationship founded in the 1960s, Half Moon is proud to continue what history interrupted, awakening the world to Lester, a master artist.
Half Moon is a palce where cultures meet and greet each other. Lush, tropical surroundings encounter Jamaican art, music, and cuisine, creating oppurtunities for inspiration to grow and blossom. In the early days of Half Moon, the Polish-born and Montego Bay based artist, Michael Lester (Michał Leszczyński), was commissioned to create artworks for the lobby, restaurants, and guest cottages of the burgeoning iconic property.
Lester witnessed the formative years of Half Moon and contributed to its early depiction in menus, brochures, and architerctural drawings. By displaying his watercolors, paintings, and large mural-sized masterworks throughout the property, Lester's art became part of the cultural fabric of Half Moon.
Living in Jamaica from 1953 until his passing in 1972, Lester's artistic legacy continues in museums and private collections throughout the Caribbean, United States, United Kingdom, Polan, and other international locations. Throughout the decades, discerning collectors have always marveled at his contributions to Half Moon's timeless elegance.
In 2022, the founding owners of Half Moon saw an opportunity to continue the stewardship of this incredible cultural treasure by purchasing the remaining estate of Michael Lester. Many of his prized possessions, lived through his intrepid life as a master mariner, are contained in over 600 artworks purchased in the 2022 Lester Estate Acquisition.
Combined with the original commissioned artworks on Half Moon premises, the Lester Collection at Half Moon is now home to the largest and most important assemblage of his work, representing Lester's entire artistic career, proudly on display throughout the resort property.
Further commitment to preserve the collection and to share the new acquisition with guests and the wider public, Half Moon partners with Garlandstone Arts, LLC to restore, digitize, and manage its art collection. Conservation projects are underway to ensure future enjoyment and to continue a legacy worthy of preservation.
