Hubbry Logo
L. S. LowryL. S. LowryMain
Open search
L. S. Lowry
Community hub
L. S. Lowry
logo
7 pages, 0 posts
0 subscribers
Be the first to start a discussion here.
Be the first to start a discussion here.
L. S. Lowry
L. S. Lowry
L. S. Lowry
View on Wikipedia
from Wikipedia

Laurence Stephen Lowry RBA RA (/ˈlaʊri/ LAO-ree; 1 November 1887 – 23 February 1976) was an English artist. His drawings and paintings mainly depict Pendlebury, Lancashire (where he lived and worked for more than 40 years) as well as Salford and its vicinity.[1]

Key Information

Lowry painted scenes of life in the industrial districts of North West England in the mid-20th century. He developed a distinctive style of painting and is best known for his urban landscapes peopled with human figures, often referred to as "matchstick men". He also painted mysterious unpopulated landscapes, brooding portraits and the unpublished "marionette" works, which were only found after his death. He was fascinated by the sea, and painted pure seascapes, depicting only sea and sky, from the early 1940s.[2]

His use of stylised figures which cast no shadows, and lack of weather effects in many of his landscapes led critics to label him a naïve[3] "Sunday painter".[4][5][6][7]

Lowry holds the record for rejecting British honours—five, including a knighthood (1968). A collection of his work is on display in The Lowry, a purpose-built art gallery on Salford Quays. On 26 June 2013, a major retrospective opened at the Tate Britain in London, his first at the gallery; in 2014 his first solo exhibition outside the UK was held in Nanjing, China.

Early life

[edit]
Lowry's former home, 117 Station Road, Pendlebury, Lancashire

Lowry was born on 1 November 1887 at 8 Barrett Street, Stretford, which was then in Lancashire.[8] It was a difficult birth, and his mother Elizabeth, who hoped for a girl, was uncomfortable even looking at him at first. Later she expressed envy of her sister Mary, who had "three splendid daughters" instead of one "clumsy boy". Lowry's grandfather Frederick Lowry had emigrated as a boy from Ulster in 1826 and finally settled in Manchester; he built up a career as an estate agent.[9] His father Robert worked as a clerk for the Jacob Earnshaw and Son Property Company and was a withdrawn and introverted man. Lowry once described him as a "cold fish [...] a queer chap in many ways [...] nothing moved him. Nothing upset him. Nothing pleased him. It was as if he had got a life to get through and he got through it".[10]

After Lowry's birth, his mother's health was too poor for her to continue teaching. She is reported to have been a religious woman who was talented and respected, with aspirations of becoming a concert pianist.[11] She was also an irritable, nervous woman brought up to expect high standards by her stern father. Like him, she was controlling and intolerant of failure. She used illness as a means of securing the attention and obedience of her mild and affectionate husband and she dominated her son in the same way. Lowry maintained that he had an unhappy childhood, growing up in a repressive family atmosphere. Although his mother demonstrated no appreciation of her son's gifts as an artist, a number of books Lowry received as Christmas presents from his parents are inscribed to "Our dearest Laurie". At school he made few friends and showed no academic aptitude. His father was affectionate towards him but was, by all accounts, a quiet man who was at his most comfortable fading into the background as an unobtrusive presence.[12][13]

Much of Lowry's early years were spent in the leafy Manchester suburb of Victoria Park, Rusholme, but in 1909, when he was 22, due to financial pressures, the family moved to 117 Station Road in the industrial town of Pendlebury.[14] Here the landscape comprised textile mills and factory chimneys rather than trees. Lowry later recalled: "At first I detested it, and then, after years I got pretty interested in it, then obsessed by it ... One day I missed a train from Pendlebury – [a place] I had ignored for seven years – and as I left the station I saw the Acme Spinning Company's mill ... The huge black framework of rows of yellow-lit windows standing up against the sad, damp charged afternoon sky. The mill was turning out ... I watched this scene — which I'd looked at many times without seeing — with rapture ..."[15]

Education

[edit]
The Peel Building, where Lowry studied at the Royal Technical College, Salford. It overlooks Peel Park, the subject of a number of his paintings. His pencil drawing "A View from the window of the Royal Technical College, Salford" (1924) was drawn from the balconied window on the upper floor.[16]

After leaving school, Lowry began a career working for the Pall Mall Company, later collecting rents, he would spend some time in his lunch hour at Buile Hill Park[17] and in the evenings took private art lessons in antique and freehand drawing. In 1905, he secured a place at the Manchester School of Art, where he studied under the French Impressionist, Pierre Adolphe Valette.[18] Lowry was full of praise for Valette as a teacher, remarking "I cannot over-estimate the effect on me of the coming into this drab city of Adolphe Valette, full of French impressionists, aware of everything that was going on in Paris".[19] In 1915 he moved on to the Royal Technical Institute, Salford (later to become the Royal Technical College, Salford and now the University of Salford) where his studies continued until 1925. There he developed an interest in industrial landscapes and began to establish his own style. There is no record of him serving in WW1. [20]

Lowry's oil paintings were originally impressionistic and dark in tone but D. B. Taylor of the Manchester Guardian took an interest in his work and encouraged him to move away from the sombre palette he was using. Taking this advice on board, Lowry began to use a white background to lighten the pictures.[21] He developed a distinctive style of painting and is best known for his urban landscapes peopled with human figures, often referred to as "matchstick men". According to art critic Simon Hucker, "he [Lowry] is much more sophisticated than that… This idea that he's a naive painter who can't paint any better … god, he can paint, he's a proper impressionist. These people are not caricatures – he can give you the impression of a man with a couple of strokes at the brush. In these little tiny figures you get a lot of story, and that’s his genius."[22] He also painted mysterious unpopulated landscapes, brooding portraits and the unpublished "marionette" works, which were only found after his death.[23]

Death of his parents

[edit]

His father died in 1932, leaving debts. His mother, subject to neurosis and depression, became bedridden and dependent on her son for care. Lowry painted after his mother had fallen asleep, between 10:00 p.m. and 2:00 or 3:00 a.m. Many paintings produced during this period were damning self-portraits (often referred to as the "Horrible Heads" series), which demonstrate the influence of expressionism and may have been inspired by an exhibition of Vincent van Gogh's work at Manchester Art Gallery in 1931. He expressed regret that he received little recognition as an artist until his mother died (1939) and that she was not able to enjoy his success. From the mid-1930s until at least 1939, Lowry took annual holidays at Berwick-upon-Tweed. After the outbreak of the Second World War Lowry served as a volunteer fire watcher and became an official war artist in 1943. In 1953, he was appointed Official Artist at the Coronation of Queen Elizabeth II.[24] After his mother's death in October 1939, he became depressed and neglected the upkeep of his house to such a degree that the landlord repossessed it in 1948. He was not short of money and bought "The Elms" in Mottram in Longdendale then in Cheshire. The area was much more rural but Lowry professed to dislike both the house and the area:[25]

They're nice folk, I've nothing against them, it's the place never could take to it. I can't explain it. I've often wondered...It does nothing for me. I know there's plenty to paint here but I haven't the slightest desire to work locally. I've done one painting of the local agricultural show. Was commissioned to paint the parish church but had to give it up, I couldn't do it.[25]

Although he considered the house ugly and uncomfortable, it was spacious enough both to set up his studio in the dining room and to accommodate the collection of china and clocks that he had inherited from his mother; he stayed there until his death almost 30 years later.[26][27]

Personal life

[edit]

In later years, Lowry spent holidays at the Seaburn Hotel in Sunderland, painting scenes of the beach and nearby ports and coal mines.[20] When he had no sketchbook, Lowry drew scenes in pencil or charcoal on the back of envelopes, paper napkins and cloakroom tickets and presented them to young people sitting with their families. Such serendipitous pieces are now worth thousands of pounds.[28]

He was a secretive and mischievous man who enjoyed stories irrespective of their truth.[29] His friends observed that his anecdotes were more notable for humour than accuracy and in many cases he set out deliberately to deceive. His stories about the fictional Ann were inconsistent and he invented other people as frameworks on which to hang his tales. The collection of clocks in his living room were all set at different times: to some people, he said that this was because he did not want to know the real time; to others, he claimed that it was to save him from being deafened by their simultaneous chimes.[28] The owner of an art gallery in Manchester who visited him at his home, The Elms, noted that while his armchair was sagging and the carpet frayed, Lowry was surrounded by items such as his beloved Rossetti drawing, Proserpine, as well as a Lucian Freud drawing located between two Tompion clocks.[30]

Lowry had many long-lasting friendships, including the Salford artist Harold Riley and painter Pat Gerrard Cooke (1935 – 2000). He made new friends throughout his adult life. He bought works from young artists he admired, such as James Lawrence Isherwood, whose Woman with Black Cat hung on his studio wall.[31] He was friends with some of these artists; he befriended the 23-year-old Cumberland artist Sheila Fell in November 1955, describing her as "the finest landscape artist of the mid-20th century".[32] He supported Fell's career by buying several pictures that he gave to museums. Fell later described him as "A great humanist. To be a humanist, one has first to love human beings, and to be a great humanist, one has to be slightly detached from them". As he never married, this affected his influence but he did have several female friends. At the age of 88 he said that he had "never had a woman".[33] Although seen as a mostly solitary and private person, Lowry enjoyed attending football matches and was an ardent supporter of Manchester City F.C.[34][35][36][37]

Retirement

[edit]

Lowry retired from the Pall Mall Property Company in 1952 on his 65th birthday.[38] In 1957 an unrelated 13-year-old schoolgirl called Carol Ann Lowry wrote to him at her mother's urging to ask his advice on becoming an artist. He visited her home in Heywood and befriended the family. His friendship with Carol Ann Lowry lasted for the rest of his life.[39][40] BBC Radio 4 broadcast in 2001 a dramatisation by Glyn Hughes of Lowry's relationship with Carol Ann.[41]

In the 1960s Lowry shared exhibitions in Salford with Warrington-born artist Reginald Waywell D.F.A.[42]

Lowry joked about retiring from the art world, citing his lack of interest in the changing landscape. Instead, he began to focus on groups of figures and odd imaginary characters. Unknown to his friends and the public, Lowry produced a series of erotic works that were not seen until after his death. The paintings depict the mysterious "Ann" figure, who appears in portraits and sketches produced throughout his lifetime, enduring sexually charged and humiliating tortures. When these works were exhibited at the Art Council's Centenary exhibition at the Barbican in 1988, art critic Richard Dorment wrote in The Daily Telegraph that these works "reveal a sexual anxiety which is never so much as hinted at in the work of the previous 60 years." The group of erotic works, which are sometimes referred to as "the mannequin sketches" or "marionette works", are kept at the Lowry Centre and are available for visitors to see on request. Some are also brought up into the public display area on a rotation system. Manchester author Howard Jacobson has argued that the images are just part of Lowry's melancholy and tortured view of the world and that they would change the public perception of the complexity of his work if they were more widely seen.[43][44]

Death and legacy

[edit]
Grave of L. S. Lowry and his parents in Southern Cemetery, Manchester
Entrance to the Lowry Centre on Salford Quays

Lowry died of pneumonia at the Woods Hospital in Glossop, Derbyshire, on 23 February 1976, aged 88. He was buried in the Southern Cemetery in Manchester, next to his parents. He left an estate valued at £298,459, and a considerable number of artworks by himself and others to Carol Ann Lowry, who, in 2001, obtained trademark protection of the artist's signature.[45]

Lowry left a cultural legacy, his works often sold for millions of pounds and inspired other artists. The Lowry art gallery in Salford Quays was opened in 2000 at a cost of £106 million; named after him, the 2,000-square-metre (22,000 sq ft) gallery houses 55 of his paintings and 278 drawings – the world's largest collection of his work – with up to 100 on display.[46] In January 2005, a statue of him was unveiled in Mottram in Longdendale[47] 100 yards away from his home from 1948 until his death in 1976. The statue has been a target for vandals since it was unveiled.[48] In 2006 the Lowry Centre in Salford hosted a contemporary dance performance inspired by his work.[49]

To mark the centenary of his birth in 1987, Royston Futter, director of the L. S. Lowry Centenary Festival, on behalf of the City of Salford and the BBC commissioned the Northern Ballet Theatre and Gillian Lynne to create a dance drama in his honour. A Simple Man was choreographed and directed by Lynne, with music by Carl Davis and starred Christopher Gable and Moira Shearer (in her last dance role). It was broadcast on BBC, for which it won a BAFTA award as the best arts programme in 1988, and also performed live on stage in November 1987.[50][51] Further performances were held in London at Sadler's Wells in 1988,[52] and again in 2009.[53]

In February 2011 a bronze statue of Lowry was installed in the basement of his favourite pub, Sam's Chop House.[54]

External videos
Going to Work - L S Lowry
video icon Channel 4 News report on the Lowry retrospective exhibition at Tate Britain in 2013[55]

In 2013 a retrospective was held at the Tate Britain in London, his first there.[56][57] In 2014 his first solo exhibition outside the UK was held in Nanjing, China.[58] One of the 'houses' at Wellacre Academy in Manchester is named after him.[59]

Awards and honours

[edit]
L. S. Lowry memorial at Mottram in Longdendale

Lowry was awarded an honorary Master of Arts degree by the University of Manchester in 1945, and Doctor of Letters in 1961. In April 1955 Lowry was elected as an Associate Member of the Royal Academy of Arts and in April 1962 became a full Royal Academician.[60] At the end of December of the same year his membership status evolved to that of Senior Academician having reached the age of 75.[60] He was given the freedom of the city of Salford in 1965.[24]

In 1975 he was awarded two honorary Doctor of Letters degrees by the Universities of Salford and Liverpool. In 1964, the art world celebrated his 77th birthday with an exhibition of his work and that of 25 contemporary artists who had submitted tributes at Monk's Hall Museum, Eccles. The Hallé orchestra performed a concert in his honour and Prime Minister Harold Wilson used Lowry's painting The Pond as his official Christmas card. Lowry's painting Coming Out of School was depicted on a postage stamp of highest denomination in a series issued by the Post Office depicting great British artists in 1968.[24] Lowry twice declined appointment to the Order of the British Empire: as an Officer (OBE) in 1955, and as a Commander (CBE) in 1961, Lowry saying "There seemed little point.. once mother was dead" (as seen in the end credits of the movie Mrs Lowry & Son).[61] He turned down a knighthood in 1968, and appointments to the Order of the Companions of Honour (CH) in 1972 and 1976.[61] He holds the record for the most honours declined.[61][62]

Quotations

[edit]
Going to Work (1943), commissioned by the War Artists' Advisory Committee
  • On the industrial landscape
    • "We went to Pendlebury in 1909 from a residential side of Manchester, and we didn't like it. My father wanted to go to get near a friend for business reasons. We lived next door, and for a long time my mother never got to like it, and at first I disliked it, and then after about a year or so I got used to it, and then I got absorbed in it, then I got infatuated with it. Then I began to wonder if anyone had ever done it. Seriously, not one or two, but seriously; and it seemed to me by that time that it was a very fine industrial subject matter. And I couldn't see anybody at that time who had done it – and nobody had done it, it seemed."[63]
    • "Most of my land and townscape is composite. Made up; part real and part imaginary ... bits and pieces of my home locality. I don't even know I'm putting them in. They just crop up on their own, like things do in dreams."[64]
  • On his style
    • "I wanted to paint myself into what absorbed me ... Natural figures would have broken the spell of it, so I made my figures half unreal. Some critics have said that I turned my figures into puppets, as if my aim were to hint at the hard economic necessities that drove them. To say the truth, I was not thinking very much about the people. I did not care for them in the way a social reformer does. They are part of a private beauty that haunted me. I loved them and the houses in the same way: as part of a vision.
    • "I am a simple man, and I use simple materials: ivory black, vermilion, prussian blue, yellow ochre, flake white and no medium. That's all I've ever used in my paintings. I like oils ... I like a medium you can work into over a period of time."[65]
  • On painting his "Seascapes"
    • "It's the battle of life – the turbulence of the sea ... I have been fond of the sea all my life, how wonderful it is, yet how terrible it is. But I often think ... what if it suddenly changed its mind and didn't turn the tide? And came straight on? If it didn't stay and came on and on and on and on ... That would be the end of it all."[66]
  • On art
    • "You don't need brains to be a painter, just feelings."[15]
    • "I am not an artist. I am a man who paints."[67]
    • "If people call me a Sunday painter, I'm a Sunday painter who paints every day of the week."[68]

Works

[edit]

Lowry's work is held in many public and private collections. The largest collection is held by Salford City Council and displayed at The Lowry. Its collection has about 400 works.[69] X-ray analyses have revealed hidden figures under his drawings – the "Ann" figures. Going to the Match, formerly owned by the Professional Footballers' Association (PFA), is displayed at The Lowry along with a preparatory pencil sketch.[70]

The Tate Gallery in London owns 23 works. The City of Southampton owns The Floating Bridge, The Canal Bridge and An Industrial Town. His work is featured at MOMA, in New York City. The Christchurch Art Gallery Te Puna o Waiwhetu in Christchurch, New Zealand has Factory at Widnes (1956) in its collection. The painting was one of the gallery's most important acquisitions of the 1950s and remains the highlight of its collection of modern British art.[71]

In the early days of his career Lowry was a member of the Manchester Group of Lancashire artists, exhibiting with them at Margo Ingham's Mid-Day Studios in Manchester.[72] He made a small painting of the Mid-Day Studios which is in the collection of the Manchester City Art Gallery.[73]

During his life Lowry made about 1,000 paintings and over 8,000 drawings.

Selected paintings

[edit]

Drawings

[edit]

Stolen Lowry works

[edit]

Five Lowry art works were stolen from the Grove Fine Art Gallery in Cheadle Hulme, Stockport on 2 May 2007. The most valuable were The Viaduct, estimated value of £700,000 and The Tanker Entering the Tyne, which is valued at over £500,000. The Surgery, The Bridge at Ringley and The Street Market were also stolen.[103] The paintings were later found in a house in Halewood near Liverpool.[104] Only one of the four robbers was caught and convicted; two other men were later convicted for possession of the stolen works.[105] A further pencil drawing, "The Skater", has never been returned.[citation needed]

Attributed works in 2015

[edit]

In July 2015 three works – Lady with Dogs, Darby and Joan and Crowd Scene – featured in the BBC One series Fake or Fortune?. The presenters concluded that the works were genuine, despite their weak provenance and the fact that Lowry was "probably the most faked British artist, his deceptively simple style of painting making him a soft target for forgers". An important element in the programme's assessment was Lowry's claim to have used only five colours including lead white, whereas a contemporary photograph showed that he had also used titanium white and zinc white.[106]

Discovered work

[edit]

The Mill, Pendlebury, a painting never publicly exhibited or featured in any book, was found in the estate of Leonard D. Hamilton, a British-American researcher, after his death in 2019. Hamilton was a Manchester Grammar School boy who studied at Balliol College, Oxford, and Trinity College, Cambridge, before moving to the US in 1949. The work was listed at Christie's with an estimate of £700,000 to £1 million,[107] and sold on 21 January 2020, to a private collector, for £2.65 million.[108]

Art market

[edit]

In March 2014 fifteen of Lowry's works, from the A.J. Thompson Collection, were auctioned at Sotheby's in London; the total sale estimate of £15 million was achieved, even though two paintings failed to reach their reserve price and were withdrawn.[109] Thompson, owner of the Salford Express, collected only Lowry paintings, starting in 1982. The auction included the paintings Peel Park, Salford and Piccadilly Circus, London, Lowry's most expensive painting at auction to date, which fetched £5.6 million in 2011 but only £5.1 million in 2014. Lowry painted very few London scenes, and only two depict Piccadilly Circus.[110]

[edit]

So you hide all Lowry's paintings
For 30 years or more
'Cos he turned down a knighthood
And you must now settle the score

References

[edit]
[edit]
Revisions and contributorsEdit on WikipediaRead on Wikipedia

L. S. Lowry

View on Grokipedia
from Grokipedia
Laurence Stephen Lowry RA (1 November 1887 – 23 February 1976) was an English painter and draughtsman best known for his distinctive depictions of working-class life in the industrial landscapes of and , featuring simplified "matchstick" figures amid factories, terraced houses, and chimneys. His art captured the grit and isolation of northern England's urban environment during the early to mid-20th century, blending observation with invention in a primitive, expressive style that emphasized white grounds and stark contrasts. Born in , , as the only child of Robert Lowry, a property clerk of Irish descent, and Elizabeth Lowry, a former , Lowry experienced a middle-class upbringing that shifted after his family moved to in 1898 and later to in 1909. He left school at age 16 in 1904 and took a clerical job at an accountancy firm, while beginning evening art classes at Manchester School of Art in 1905 until 1915, followed by studies at Salford School of Art in 1915–1925. Under the influence of his tutor, the French Impressionist Pierre Adolphe Valette, Lowry developed an interest in urban subjects, though he rejected impressionistic techniques for a more naive, linear approach inspired by the Camden Town Group. From 1910, he worked as a rent collector for the Property Company, a role that exposed him to the communities he later portrayed, allowing him to paint only in evenings and weekends until his retirement in 1952. Lowry's career gained momentum in the after his father's sudden death in 1932, which forced him to support his bedridden mother until her passing in 1939, during which time he produced few works and lived increasingly reclusively. After his mother's death, he moved to Mottram-in-Longdendale in 1948, where he continued painting until his death. His first painting was accepted by the Royal Academy in 1932, and he created over 1,000 oils and 8,000 drawings in his lifetime, with iconic pieces including Coming Out of School (1927), Going to the Match (1953), The Pond (1950), and Industrial Landscape (1955), which evoke the monotony and vitality of mill workers and crowds. Elected an Associate of the Royal Academy (ARA) in 1955 and a full Royal Academician (RA) in 1962, Lowry received widespread acclaim late in life, including the of in 1968. Following his death from at Woods Hospital in , , Lowry's reclusive existence and vast output came into sharper focus, revealing unpublished drawings and self-portraits that underscored his introspective nature. His legacy endures through high auction values—such as Going to the Match selling for £7.8 million in 2022—and institutions like The Lowry arts centre in , which opened in 2000 and houses the world's largest collection of his works, celebrating his affectionate portrayal of industrial life.

Early life and education

Early life

Laurence Stephen Lowry was born on 1 November 1887 in , , to his father, Robert Lowry, who worked as a in an estate agent's office and was of Irish descent, and his mother, Elizabeth Lowry, a talented whose own ambitions for a career in music or teaching had been thwarted. As an , Lowry experienced a sheltered upbringing marked by and awkwardness, which made it difficult for him to form friendships or engage in typical play with peers. In 1898, when Lowry was eleven, the family relocated to Victoria Park, a leafy suburb in south designed as one of the city's first garden suburbs, offering a contrast to the encroaching and industrial landscapes of nearby and the wider region. In 1909, financial difficulties forced another move to , an industrial area north of , where Lowry encountered the factory chimneys and terraced houses that would feature prominently in his work. From these vantage points, Lowry began observing the bustling, smoke-filled scenes of factories, mills, and working-class life that would later inspire his art, though his immediate environment remained relatively affluent and isolated until the later move. His mother's influence fostered early interests in music, through her playing, and in art, as she shared her appreciation for cultural pursuits despite her own declining health following his birth. This period of turmoil shaped Lowry's formative years, leading him toward evening classes at the Manchester School of Art in 1905.

Education

Lowry's childhood interest in art prompted him to seek formal training alongside his employment as a . In 1905, at age 17, he began attending part-time evening classes at the Manchester Municipal School of Art, where he remained a student until 1915. His curriculum there included life drawing, , and , with significant guidance from the French Impressionist Pierre Adolphe Valette, who instructed him for over 15 years and emphasized techniques, light analysis, and the portrayal of contemporary urban environments. These lessons shaped Lowry's technical foundations, introducing him to Impressionist methods that informed his initial approach to composition and atmosphere. During this period, Lowry experimented with conventional subjects such as seascapes and landscapes, producing works like the early urban-influenced Clifton Junction, Morning (1910), before fully committing to industrial scenes in the ensuing decade. In 1915, Lowry transitioned to the Royal Technical College (now the ), enrolling in further part-time studies that continued until 1925 and solidified his artistic skills through advanced drawing and painting instruction.

Personal circumstances

Family and relationships

Lowry's father, , worked as a in an estate agent's office and died suddenly of in 1932, leaving the family in financial debt that Lowry later repaid. His mother, Elizabeth, was a talented who had aspired to a but instead became a teacher and accompanist; she suffered from poor health, becoming permanently bedridden after her husband's death and passing away in October 1939. Lowry shared a close yet deeply strained relationship with Elizabeth, who dominated his daily life and subjected him to while disapproving of his pursuit of an art , viewing it as unworthy compared to more traditional subjects like landscapes and portraits. In response, he painted numerous portraits of her in attempts to gain her approval, though she remained critical. A lifelong , Lowry never married or pursued romantic relationships, maintaining a limited social circle and embracing a reclusive that emphasized . He formed few close attachments beyond his family, with his interactions often platonic and centered on professional or casual acquaintances, reflecting his self-described melancholic and isolated personality. Lowry's hobbies provided outlets for his introspective nature, including collecting memorabilia from music halls, attending concerts of composers like Bach and , and amassing books on by authors such as Dickens and Hardy. These pursuits underscored his cultural interests inherited partly from his , though they were enjoyed in private rather than social settings. The death of his mother in 1939 profoundly affected Lowry, marking a turning point that unleashed his artistic productivity after years of emotional constraint.

Death of parents

Lowry's father, Robert Stephen Lowry, died of on 13 February 1932, leaving the family in considerable financial debt that had been concealed during his lifetime. As the sole breadwinner, Lowry, who had been employed as a rent clerk at the Property Company since 1915, faced intensified pressure to support his ailing mother, Elizabeth, while managing the household's precarious finances. This event exacerbated the family's existing economic strains, stemming from their relocation to the industrial district of in 1909 amid Robert's professional setbacks. Following her husband's death, Elizabeth Lowry's health deteriorated rapidly; she became bedridden, suffering from and depression, and remained largely confined to her room for the next seven years. Lowry devoted himself to her care, administering to her needs during the day after long hours at work and restricting his painting to secretive late-night sessions to avoid disturbing her. Elizabeth died in October 1939 at the age of 81, an event that plunged Lowry into profound grief and depression; he later described his life as changing "utterly and completely," to the extent that he contemplated . This loss marked a pivotal emotional rupture, intensifying his isolation and reclusive tendencies. The deaths of his parents profoundly disrupted Lowry's artistic output, leading to a period of dormancy immediately following his mother's passing, during which he produced no significant works for nearly two years amid overwhelming sorrow. When he resumed painting in the early , his style shifted toward darker, more introspective themes, reflecting personal through haunting portraits and somber industrial scenes that conveyed a heightened sense of and emotional desolation. The family's home at 117 Station Road in fell into neglect during this time, culminating in its by in 1948 due to unpaid rent and disrepair. That same year, Lowry sold his remaining possessions from the house and relocated to The Elms in Mottram-in-Longdendale, a move that symbolized a painful closure to his familial past and allowed him to live more independently in a smaller, isolated setting.

Retirement and personal interests

Lowry retired from his role as a rent collector for the Pall Mall Property Company in at the age of 65, securing a full that freed him to pursue on a full-time basis, though this shift intensified his longstanding reclusive tendencies. At his home, The Elms, in Mottram-in-Longdendale, he adhered to a structured daily routine that provided personal fulfillment amid his : mornings were devoted to in his studio, afternoons to solitary walks through the surrounding countryside for inspiration and reflection, and evenings to reading or listening to the radio for entertainment and news. In retirement, Lowry's personal interests expanded, reflecting his fascination with and leisure; music halls remained a favorite haunt that influenced his depictions of urban entertainment. He also indulged in collecting , amassing postcards, books, and other mementos that captured , and corresponded regularly with admirers and fellow artists, fostering connections despite his isolation. Lowry's health began to decline in the 1960s and 1970s, marked by a hip surgery in 1961 and progressive frailty that limited his mobility, yet he sustained remarkable productivity, creating works until his final year in 1976. This period underscored the lasting impact of his earlier parental losses, which had shaped his independent and introspective nature.

Artistic development

Early career

After completing his education, Lowry entered the workforce in 1910 as a clerk and rent collector for the Pall Mall Property Company, a role he maintained until his retirement in 1952. This position immersed him in the industrial landscapes of Salford and Manchester, where he traversed terraced streets and factory districts to collect rents, gaining intimate familiarity with the daily struggles and communal dynamics of the working class that profoundly shaped his artistic vision. Lowry's entry into professional artistry began with his first public in 1921, held at the office of Rowland Thomasson on Mosley Street in , where he displayed several paintings alongside two other artists—though none sold. Despite rejections from elite venues like the Royal Academy in his early submissions, his work gained traction among local art circles, with inclusions in shows by the New English Art Club and the Manchester Society of Modern Painters during the . By 1928, pieces such as A Street Scene (St Simon's Church) exemplified his growing focus on urban vignettes, leading to his first solo in in 1930. In the , drawing from observations made during his rent-collecting duties, Lowry shifted from impressionistic landscapes influenced by his training under Adolphe Valette to a distinctive style populated by simplified, elongated "" figures amid vast industrial settings. This evolution, rooted in his encounters with mill workers and street crowds, bridged his early experiments to the thematic maturity that defined his oeuvre.

Style and influences

Lowry's artistic style is renowned for its depiction of simplified urban landscapes capturing the industrial scenes of , particularly and , where crowds of diminutive "matchstick" figures navigate vast, impersonal environments that underscore themes of isolation and amid apparent bustle. These figures, rendered with minimal lines and lacking individual detail, evoke a sense of and , reflecting the dehumanizing effects of industrial life while highlighting the artist's observation of everyday human interactions. His compositions often feature a flattened perspective and bold contrasts, transforming gritty surroundings into stylized, almost dreamlike vistas that prioritize emotional resonance over realism. Under the influence of his tutor Pierre Adolphe Valette at the Manchester School of Art, Lowry developed an interest in urban subjects, though he rejected impressionistic techniques for a more naive, linear approach inspired by the Camden Town Group. This shift marked a departure from academic , allowing him to distill complex social scenes into essential forms that conveyed profound psychological depth through observation and selective invention. Central to Lowry's oeuvre are themes of social commentary on working-class existence, infused with subtle humor and an acute sense of , without descending into overt political advocacy. His paintings portray the routines and struggles of laborers in factories and streets, using white factory smoke as a signature motif to symbolize both industrial vitality and atmospheric isolation, often blanketing scenes in a hazy that heightens the figures' vulnerability. Lowry himself described his approach as "primitive," emphasizing a raw, unpolished vision that captured the humor in human folly and the pervasive solitude of crowds: "All my people are lonely." This self-identification aligned with his rejection of elite art circles, drawing instead from , including performances, which influenced the exaggerated, distorted proportions of his figures reminiscent of comedic caricatures.

Technique and themes

Lowry employed a limited palette consisting of just five oil colors: flake white, ivory black, , , and yellow ochre, applied without medium to or supports. This restrained selection of whites, blacks, and tones contributed to the monochromatic, muted quality of his early industrial scenes, emphasizing the starkness of urban environments. He applied paint using a to achieve thick textures, occasionally incorporating his fingers or nails to scrape surfaces or build layers, creating a tactile, sculptural effect that enhanced the sense of solidity in his depictions of buildings and figures. In terms of composition, Lowry favored high horizons that compressed the sky into a narrow band, paired with flattened perspectives that reduced depth and treated crowds as rhythmic patterns rather than individualized forms, fostering a sense of collective amid the . Recurring motifs in his work included towering industrial chimneys belching smoke, rows of terraced houses, and bustling football matches, which captured the rhythms of working-class life in . These elements often conveyed themes of community cohesion alongside underlying isolation within the industrialized setting. From the onward, following the death of his mother in , Lowry experimented with brighter hues and more vivid tones, introducing subtle shifts toward warmer and more dynamic color applications in his later paintings.

Major works

Selected paintings

L.S. Lowry's "The Pond" (1950) is a large-scale that exemplifies his fascination with industrial landscapes, depicting a boating lake surrounded by terraced houses, factories, and smoking chimneys in a setting. The work captures the interplay of everyday leisure amid , with matchstick figures engaging in mundane activities against a backdrop of environmental grit, highlighting Lowry's ability to blend human isolation with communal routine. Acquired by the in 1951 shortly after its creation, it remains a cornerstone of public collections, underscoring Lowry's documentation of northern England's transforming industrial heartland. In "Going to the Match" (1953), Lowry portrays crowds of football fans streaming toward Bolton Wanderers' , rendered in his signature white figures against a hazy, smoke-filled sky. This oil on canvas evokes the post-war optimism and social rituals of working-class life, with the throng's energy contrasting the stark urban architecture, symbolizing collective escape in a monotonous existence. The painting achieved a world auction record for Lowry when it sold for £7.8 million at in 2022 and is now held by arts centre in , ensuring its public accessibility. Lowry's "Ancoats Hospital Outpatients' Hall" (1952) presents an interior scene of Manchester's Ancoats Hospital, teeming with patients and staff in a crowded waiting area shortly after the NHS's . The composition emphasizes the humanity in institutional routine, with elongated figures and simplified forms conveying vulnerability and resilience in everyday medical care amid urban poverty. This work, less typical of his outdoor industrial vistas, reveals Lowry's nuanced engagement with social welfare themes and the lived experiences of the . By the early 1960s, Lowry increasingly turned to coastal motifs, as seen in "The Sea" (1963), an abstract seascape of turbulent waves and empty horizon devoid of figures or structures. This marks a stylistic departure from his urban scenes, exploring isolation and the inexorable force of nature through broad, expressive brushstrokes in a palette of and greys. Reflecting his lifelong affinity for the sea—stemming from childhood holidays—it symbolizes existential contemplation and the "battle of life," contrasting his earlier depictions of crowded industrial life.

Drawings

L. S. Lowry produced over 8,000 drawings throughout his lifetime, primarily using or biro on , which served both as preparatory studies for his paintings and as independent artworks. These works often captured rapid impressions of everyday scenes, allowing Lowry to document his surroundings with immediacy during his daily routines as a rent collector in industrial . Unlike his more labored oil paintings, the drawings emphasized efficiency, with many executed on scraps of or whatever was at hand, reflecting his observational approach to urban life. Lowry's drawing technique featured simpler, more direct lines for depicting figures and , prioritizing speed and essential forms over intricate detail; he frequently smudged marks with his finger or thumb to create tonal depth and texture. A notable example is his recurring focus on steps in urban settings, seen in works such as The Steps, , (1930) and Old Steps, (1969–70), which span from the to the and highlight architectural elements as focal points of isolation and movement. He also incorporated biro for quick sketches, switching between media to build layered compositions through erasing and rubbing, which added a sense of spontaneity to the rigid of his matchstick figures and buildings. While sharing motifs with his paintings, such as industrial landscapes and crowds, Lowry's drawings offered a more intimate perspective, often centering on solitary figures or fleeting urban vignettes that conveyed quiet amid the bustle. Examples include lone pedestrians in empty streets or abbreviated portraits that underscore themes of and resilience in working-class environments. Following Lowry's death in 1976, numerous sketchbooks and over 100 previously unseen drawings were discovered at his home, revealing the iterative nature of his creative process and including experimental pieces not intended for public view. These materials have since been exhibited independently in institutions such as and , allowing scholars and audiences to appreciate the breadth of his drawing practice beyond his painted oeuvre.

Notable events involving works

In 2006, three paintings by L.S. Lowry were among 13 artworks stolen in a raid on the Clark Art Gallery in , with the thieves using a to smash a window and selectively taking high-value pieces estimated at over £1 million in total. The stolen Lowrys, including works valued at up to £400,000 each, have not been recovered, but a 2015 investigation revealed the paintings had been circulating as currency among groups, including gangs, for years, with efforts to trace them ongoing. A significant attribution controversy arose in 2015 when the BBC's Fake or Fortune? series examined three small oil paintings purportedly by Lowry, owned by collector , prompting expert analysis on their and style; while two were ultimately accepted by the artist's committee, the third faced doubts and was not conclusively attributed, highlighting challenges in verifying lesser-known works amid the artist's prolific output. In the late , a long-lost 1943 painting titled The Mill, resurfaced after over 70 years in private ownership, having been gifted by Lowry himself; it was authenticated by experts and sold at auction for £2.65 million, setting a record and drawing attention to other rediscovered pieces appearing at auctions, such as sketches found in 2015 and 2022 that fetched tens of thousands each after verification. In May 2025, an early painting titled Going to the Mill (1926), originally purchased for £10, resurfaced and sold at for £805,200 (including ), underscoring the enduring market value of Lowry's overlooked early industrial scenes. The art market for Lowry has been plagued by fakes and forgeries, exemplified by the 2007 court case involving forger and his family, who created and sold a Lowry painting titled The for £70,000 after fabricating a ; Greenhalgh was sentenced to four years and eight months in prison at for multiple frauds, including this piece, which was later identified through forensic analysis, underscoring ongoing issues.

Later years and legacy

Death

Laurence Stephen Lowry died on 23 February 1976, aged 88, from at Woods Hospital in , , following a suffered at his home in Mottram-in-Longdendale. His declining health in retirement had left him increasingly isolated, exacerbating the reclusive tendencies that defined his later life. In his will, Lowry bequeathed his entire estate—valued at £300,000—to his niece Carol Ann Lowry. Salford City Council had acquired the core of its public collection of his works through purchases and donations during his lifetime. Lowry's funeral was a private affair, with the service conducted at Southern Cemetery in , where he was buried in the family plot alongside his parents, and Elizabeth. News of his passing elicited immediate public mourning across Britain, with tributes emphasizing his solitary existence and the poignant, matchstick-figure depictions of industrial northern life that had quietly captivated a nation.

Awards and honours

Lowry's election to the Royal Academy marked a significant milestone in his career, highlighting his growing recognition despite his self-taught background. In 1955, he was elected an Associate of the Royal Academy (ARA), a rare honour for an artist without formal academic training beyond evening classes at School of Art. This was followed by his full election as a Royal Academician (RA) in 1962, further affirming his place within the British art establishment, though Lowry himself expressed ambivalence about such formal affiliations. Civic honours underscored Lowry's deep ties to his native region. In 1965, he was granted the of Salford, a prestigious recognition of his lifelong depiction of industrial life in the area, allowing him symbolic privileges such as driving sheep through the streets—a gesture that reflected his humble, unpretentious persona. Academic accolades further cemented his stature. The awarded him an honorary (MA) degree in 1945, acknowledging his early contributions to British art. This was succeeded by an honorary (D.Litt.) from the same institution in 1961, honouring his distinctive style and thematic focus on urban landscapes. In 1975, Lowry received honorary (D.Litt.) degrees from both the and the , reflecting his enduring influence on regional cultural identity shortly before his death. Throughout his career, Lowry's relationship with official honours was marked by notable rejections, illustrating the establishment's ambivalence toward his unconventional approach. He declined an Officer of the (OBE) in 1955 and a Commander of the (CBE) in 1961, as well as a knighthood in 1968 and two appointments as Companion of in 1972 and 1976—setting a record for the most British honours refused by any individual. These refusals emphasized his desire to remain "unchanged" by institutional validation, prioritizing his artistic independence.

Posthumous recognition

Following Lowry's death in 1976, his work received increasing institutional support and scholarly attention, beginning with the establishment of a dedicated public collection in his hometown. In 1979, Museum and Art Gallery formalized its holdings as the L.S. Lowry Collection, incorporating works acquired over decades alongside bequests from the artist, forming the foundation of what became the world's largest public archive of his paintings and drawings. This initiative marked an early step in elevating Lowry's status from a regional figure to one of national significance, with the collection's growth reflecting broader efforts to preserve his depictions of industrial life. National recognition expanded throughout the 1980s, culminating in the 1987 centenary exhibition at Museum and Art Gallery, which showcased over 100 works and drew widespread acclaim for contextualizing Lowry's art within Britain's . Scholarly interest also intensified during this period, notably with the publication of Shelley Rohde's biography A Private View of L.S. Lowry in 1979, which provided the first comprehensive account of his life and creative process based on extensive interviews and archival research. Rohde's work highlighted Lowry's introspective nature and the autobiographical elements in his urban scenes, influencing subsequent interpretations of his oeuvre as a commentary on isolation amid modernity. Major retrospectives in the late 20th and early 21st centuries further solidified Lowry's legacy. The 2013 exhibition Lowry and the Painting of Modern Life at reassessed his contributions as a painter of industrial modernity, presenting over 90 works to explore themes of urban alienation and collective experience. This show, the first major retrospective of Lowry, prompted renewed critical discourse on his relevance to contemporary social issues. Complementing this, high-profile auction sales underscored his market elevation; in 2011, fetched £5.6 million at , setting a record for Lowry at the time and signaling his appeal to international collectors. Auction records continued to rise, with selling for £7.8 million in 2022, as of November 2025. In the 2020s, scholarly analyses have deepened explorations of Lowry's works through lenses of and personal . Recent studies link his matchstick figures and desolate landscapes to themes of , such as and emotional detachment, interpreting them as reflections of post-industrial alienation. For instance, a 2023 examination in British Art Studies analyzes Lowry's self-portraits to reveal negotiations of and isolation, connecting his solitary depictions to broader dynamics in working-class Britain. These interpretations position Lowry's art as a vital resource for understanding 20th-century social inequities and .

Commercial and cultural impact

Art market

Following L. S. Lowry's death in 1976, the commercial value of his works experienced rapid appreciation, driven by growing recognition of his depictions of industrial life. For instance, his Going to the Match (1953) sold for £1.9 million at in 1999 and fetched a record £7.8 million at the same house in 2022. Similarly, Piccadilly Circus, (1960) achieved £5.6 million at in 2011, underscoring the escalating demand for his oils. Lowry's auction market remains robust, with over 50 works typically sold annually across major houses, predominantly in the UK. and have dominated proceedings, accounting for the majority of high-value transactions; alone has secured seven of the top ten prices realized for his works. Recent examples include Sunday Afternoon (1957), which sold for £6.3 million at in March 2024, and Going to the Mill (1925), which sold for £800,000 at Anderson & Garland in May 2025, reflecting sustained collector interest despite broader fluctuations. Key drivers of this market include nostalgia for Britain's industrial heritage and appeal to prominent collectors, though provenance issues from occasional thefts—such as the 2020 recovery of a stolen drawing—can influence bidding. In the 2020s, while economic pressures have tempered overall growth, Lowry's transaction volume rose 132% from 2017 to 2022, with average sale prices for paintings holding steady around £90,000, indicating enduring commercial appeal.

Exhibitions and collections

Lowry's works have been prominently featured in major institutional collections, ensuring public access and preservation of his industrial landscapes and matchstick figures. The Lowry Centre in , which opened in October 2000, houses the world's largest public collection of his art, comprising over 400 works including paintings and drawings donated primarily by collectors Monty and Sonia Bloom. This collection forms the core of the centre's permanent exhibition, "Modern Life: The LS Lowry Collection," which rotates selections of iconic pieces such as Going to the Match (1953) to highlight his depictions of urban life in . maintains a significant holding of 23 paintings by Lowry, acquired over decades, with key examples like The Pond (1950) representing his seascapes and urban scenes. also stewards an important collection of his paintings and drawings, featuring works such as Ancoats Hospital (1954) that capture the social and industrial character of . During Lowry's lifetime, his paintings and drawings gained visibility through regular exhibitions at the Lefevre Gallery in , beginning with his first solo show in 1939, which was a commercial success with numerous sales shortly before the outbreak of . He held subsequent one-man exhibitions there in the 1940s, 1950s, and 1960s, including a notable 1956 display of paintings that showcased his evolving style of crowded street scenes and factory landscapes. International exposure came in 1960 with his debut exhibition in at Galerie Motte, followed by a 1961 show in New York at the Durlacher Brothers Gallery, marking his entry into global art circles. Posthumous retrospectives have further elevated Lowry's profile and facilitated broader public engagement. A major survey opened at Art Gallery in in 1987, drawing on loans from public and private collections to explore his career-spanning oeuvre. Tate Britain's 2013 exhibition, "Lowry and the Painting of Modern Life," was the first major institutional show of his work since his death, presenting over 100 pieces across six thematic rooms to contextualize his art within . Recent initiatives include displays for the 25th anniversary of Centre in 2025, featuring immersive experiences like "Lowry 360," a permanent digital installation of Going to the Match. Additionally, works have been loaned to northern venues, such as the 2024 tour of Going to the Match to Bury Art Museum and Sculpture Centre, and exhibitions at The Beacon Museum in , enhancing regional access to his legacy. Lowry's distinctive depictions of industrial life have permeated , inspiring tributes across , film, and public memorials. In , the 1978 novelty song "Matchstalk Men and Matchstalk Cats and Dogs" by became a number-one hit in the , directly celebrating Lowry's "matchstick" figures and scenes shortly after his death. The track, written by Mike Coleman, evokes Lowry's style through lyrics describing his paintings of working-class life, and it featured schoolchildren from singing the chorus, leading to a notable reunion event years later. In film and television, Lowry's life has been portrayed in biographical works that highlight his personal struggles and artistic drive. The 2019 drama Mrs Lowry & Son, directed by Adrian Shergold, stars as the artist and as his domineering mother, focusing on the early 20th-century tensions that shaped his career; the film premiered at the and received praise for its intimate portrayal of familial influence on creativity. Documentaries have also explored his world, including the BBC's 1975 L.S. Lowry - The Industrial Artist, which examines his inspirations through on-location footage, and the announced episode Lowry: The Lost Tapes, scheduled for 2026, which will uncover previously unheard audio recordings from his final years to reveal insights into his psyche and formative experiences. Public commemorations further embed Lowry as a . In 1967, issued a stamp featuring his painting Coming Out of School as part of the British Painters series, marking official recognition of his contributions to depicting modern Britain. Sculptural tributes include a bronze statue of Lowry installed in 2011 at Sam's Chop House pub in , created by sculptor Colin to honor the 35th anniversary of his death and positioned to evoke his observational gaze over patrons. These elements underscore Lowry's enduring role as a symbol of northern English identity.

References

  1. https://www.tate.org.uk/art/artists/l-s-lowry-1533
  2. https://artuk.org/discover/artists/lowry-laurence-stephen-18871976
  3. https://www.nationalgalleries.org/art-and-artists/artists/laurence-stephen-lowry
  4. https://www.sothebys.com/en/articles/a-brief-history-of-l-s-lowry
  5. https://thelowry.com/about-ls-lowry-q1qt
  6. https://www.christies.com/en/stories/10-things-to-know-about-ls-lowry-3c9289e2b7fd4fea88ad3822575c6457
  7. https://www.royalacademy.org.uk/art-artists/name/l-s-lowry-ra
  8. https://artuk.org/discover/stories/l-s-lowry-salfords-royal-academician
  9. https://www.historic-uk.com/CultureUK/LS-Lowry/
  10. https://www.manchestereveningnews.co.uk/news/nostalgia/laurence-stephen-lowry-famous-artist-7388884
  11. https://ilovemanchester.com/ls-lowry-legacy
  12. https://www.artuk.org/discover/stories/l-s-lowry-true-to-life
  13. https://artuk.org/discover/stories/did-you-know-that-l-s-lowry-was-taught-by-a-french-impressionist
  14. https://www.nationalgalleries.org/art-and-artists/features/first-drawing-lowry-enter-scotlands-national-collection
  15. https://www.mmu.ac.uk/news-and-events/news/story/historic-records-show-ls-lowry-balanced-work-and-studies-manchester
  16. https://www.theartstory.org/artist/lowry-ls/
  17. https://artcollection.salford.ac.uk/collection/history-of-the-collection/
  18. https://www.spectator.co.uk/article/why-did-mrs-lowry-hate-her-son-s-paintings/
  19. https://www.theguardian.com/artanddesign/2007/mar/26/art1
  20. https://www.lowry.co.uk/lowry-thedarkside.html
  21. https://www.theguardian.com/books/2000/mar/19/art
  22. https://www.l-s-lowry.co.uk/biography.html
  23. https://britishartstudies.ac.uk/issues/25/masculinity-and-isolation-in-the-self-portraits-of-lowry
  24. https://www.tate.org.uk/press/press-releases/lowry-and-painting-modern-life
  25. https://www.theguardian.com/artanddesign/2013/jun/09/lowry-peoples-artist-tate-britain-feature
  26. https://books.google.com/books/about/L_S_Lowry.html?id=2oBIAQAAIAAJ
  27. https://www.espn.com/soccer/story/_/id/37632864/ls-lowry-going-match-auctioned-78m
  28. https://artuk.org/discover/stories/l-s-lowry-true-to-life
  29. https://rylandscollections.com/2016/11/23/the-manchester-guardian-and-l-s-lowry/
  30. https://www.myartbroker.com/artist-l-s-lowry/articles/impact-lowry-contemporary-british-art-legacy
  31. https://britishartstudies.ac.uk/issues/05/lowry-local
  32. https://www.theguardian.com/artanddesign/2011/apr/18/ls-lowry-tate
  33. https://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/art/features/genius-of-lancashire-s-matchstick-master-this-summer-s-biggest-exhibition-reassesses-the-merits-of-ls-lowry-8599855.html
  34. https://www.tate.org.uk/art/artists/l-s-lowry-1533/how-paint-lowry
  35. https://hancockgallery.co.uk/blogs/news/lowry-breaking-away-from-academic-conventions
  36. https://www.wsj.com/arts-culture/fine-art/l-s-lowrys-coming-out-of-school-painting-his-own-gray-world-edb3b40d
  37. https://www.christies.com/en/artists/laurence-stephen-lowry/laurence-stephen-lowry-paintings
  38. https://www.myartbroker.com/artist-l-s-lowry/articles/lowrys-styles-and-techniques
  39. https://www.myartbroker.com/artist-l-s-lowry/articles/beyond-matchstick-men-nuances-lowry-artistic-style
  40. https://www.reproduction-gallery.com/art-movement/modern-art-paintings/
  41. https://www.tate.org.uk/art/artworks/lowry-the-pond-n06032
  42. https://anglotopia.net/british-identity/art/great-british-art-pond-ls-lowry/
  43. https://www.christies.com/en/stories/going-to-the-match-lowrys-vanished-england-0b092ce105f448a186628c2f52ba088b
  44. https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-england-manchester-63319216
  45. https://www.tate.org.uk/press/press-releases/little-known-painting-ls-lowry-sheds-new-light-on-works-major-tate-show
  46. https://www.anothermag.com/art-photography/3071/lowry-and-the-painting-of-modern-life
  47. https://artdaily.com/news/63514/Little-known-painting-by-LS-Lowry-sheds-new-light-on-works-in-major-Tate-show-
  48. https://gerryco23.wordpress.com/2012/09/27/a-lowry-summer-in-an-autumn-deluge/
  49. https://thelowry.com/pQVG2T0/about-us/ls-lowry-collection
  50. https://blog.flametreepublishing.com/art-of-fine-gifts/the-developing-style-of-ls-lowry
  51. https://www.printsandfineart.com/art/product/73202/GM2056/l-s-lowry-the-steps-peel-park-salford-1930
  52. https://www.tate.org.uk/art/artworks/lowry-old-steps-stockport-p03275
  53. https://www.tennants.co.uk/discover/news-insights/the-late-drawings-of-l-s-lowry/
  54. https://www.contemporarysix.co.uk/blog/where-did-ls-lowry-get-his-inspiration-from/
  55. https://www.bbc.com/news/entertainment-arts-22727802
  56. https://www.theguardian.com/artanddesign/gallery/2013/jun/19/unseen-lowry-exhibition-in-pictures
  57. https://www.theguardian.com/artanddesign/2006/sep/29/arttheft.art
  58. https://www.manchestereveningnews.co.uk/news/greater-manchester-news/stolen-lowry-paintings-drug-gangs--9188161
  59. https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b0612kxh
  60. https://www.bbc.com/news/entertainment-arts-51173894
  61. https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-3235993/Unseen-Lowry-sketches-left-cupboard-owner-s-wife-deemed-unsightly-fetch-500-000-discovered-Antiques-Roadshow.html
  62. https://news.artnet.com/market/a-woman-stashed-some-prints-in-a-cupboard-20-years-ago-turns-out-they-included-three-sketches-by-famed-artist-l-s-lowry-2186954
  63. https://www.theguardian.com/artanddesign/2025/may/02/ls-lowry-painting-going-to-the-mill-sells-at-auction
  64. https://www.antiquetrader.com/going-to-the-mill-gone-to-the-auction-early-lowry-fetches-805k
  65. https://www.theguardian.com/artanddesign/2017/may/27/wasnt-cock-a-hoop-fooled-experts-britains-master-art-forger
  66. https://www.manchestereveningnews.co.uk/news/greater-manchester-news/mysterious-lowry-heiress-auction-uncle-16420120
  67. https://artuk.org/visit/venues/the-lowry-6550
  68. https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/10713662/ls-lowry
  69. https://onlineonly.christies.com/s/people-watching-art-l-s-lowry/laurence-stephen-lowry-r-a-1887-1976-8/88437
  70. https://www.nytimes.com/1976/02/24/archives/ls-lowry-dead-artist-of-bleak-british-primitive-88-known-for-drab.html
  71. https://www.lowry.co.uk/lowry-biography.html
  72. https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-england-manchester-16737374
  73. https://salfordmuseum.com/exhibition/exploring-the-collection-geoffrey-key-harold-riley-and-ls-lowry/
  74. https://www.britishmuseum.org/collection/term/BIOG36322
  75. https://books.google.com/books/about/A_Private_View_of_L_S_Lowry.html?id=zpg0AQAAIAAJ
  76. https://www.tate.org.uk/whats-on/tate-britain/lowry-and-painting-modern-life
  77. https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-england-manchester-15769475
  78. https://www.theguardian.com/football/2022/sep/14/lowrys-going-to-the-match-expected-to-fetch-8m-at-auction
  79. https://www.myartbroker.com/artist-l-s-lowry/record-prices/ls-lowry-record-prices
  80. https://www.artsy.net/artist/ls-lowry-1/auction-results
  81. https://www.christies.com/en/artists/laurence-stephen-lowry
  82. https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-england-manchester-68621300
  83. https://www.myartbroker.com/artist-l-s-lowry/articles/modern-british-masters-l-s-lowry-market-watch
  84. https://www.mutualart.com/Artist/Laurence-Stephen-Lowry/982404D666841928
  85. https://www.lowry.co.uk/lowry-1956.html
  86. https://thelowry.com/lowry-360-5htn
  87. https://artuk.org/discover/curations/going-to-the-match-on-tour
  88. https://www.tate.org.uk/art/artists/l-s-lowry-1533/lowry-painted-my-life-so-i-sang-about-his
  89. https://www.imdb.com/title/tt7590074/
  90. https://www.theguardian.com/film/2019/aug/28/mrs-lowry-and-son-review-vanessa-redgrave-timothy-spall
  91. https://www.bbc.co.uk/mediacentre/2025/paul-mccartney-tracey-emin-john-akomfrah-ronnie-wood-chris-packham-orna-guralnik-new-films-arena-50
  92. https://www.collectgbstamps.co.uk/explore/issues/?issue=85
  93. https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-england-manchester-12524755
Add your contribution
Related Hubs
User Avatar
No comments yet.