Laurence Stephen Lowry was an English artist. Many of his drawings and paintings depict Pendlebury, Lancashire, where he lived and worked for more than 40 years, Salford and its vicinity. Lowry is famous for painting 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 He painted mysterious unpopulated landscapes, brooding portraits and the unpublished "marionette" works, which were only found after his death. 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 "Sunday painter" Lowry holds the record for rejecting the most number of British honours: he rejected five honours during his life, including a knighthood. A collection of his work is on display in The Lowry, a purpose-built art gallery on Salford Quays.
| Born: | Laurence Stephen Lowry, November 1, 1887, Stretford, Lancashire, England |
| Died: | February 23, 1976, Glossop, Derbyshire, England |
| Education: | Manchester Municipal College, Salford Technical College |
| Known for: | Painting |
| Notable work: | Going to the Match (1928), Coming from the Mill (1930), Industrial Landscape (1955), Portrait of Ann (1957) |
| Awards: | Freedom of the City of Salford, Honorary Master of Arts, Honorary Doctor of Letters |
About LS Lowry
Remembered for his urban scenes featuring simply drawn human figures ("matchstick men") and for his portraits, he is most well known for Industrial Landscape (1955); Portrait of Ann (1957); Going to the Match (1928); and Coming from the Mill (1930).
Before Fame
In the early 1900s, he studied under Impressionist painter Pierre Adolphe Valette at the Manchester School of Art and received further artistic training at the Salford Royal Technical College.
Achievement
In the 1950s, he began mentoring the young English landscape artist Sheila Fell.
Family Life
Raised in Lancashire, England, Laurence Stephen "L.S." Lowry had an unhappy childhood as the son of Elizabeth and Robert Lowry. His parents were, by most accounts, highly neurotic and emotionally cold.
Associations
Brazil, a 1985 fantasy movie directed by American-born filmmaker Terry Gilliam, features a main character named Sam Lowry and is filled with urban landscapes reminiscent of those in Lowry's paintings.
Information related to L. S. Lowry
- Google Doodles
- Naïve painters
- Alumni of the University of Salford
- English landscape painters
- Alumni of Manchester Metropolitan University
- World War II artists
- British war artists
- Landscape artists
- Royal Academicians
