Lawrence Stephen Lowry

from Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Lawrence Stephen Lowry (born November 1, 1887 in Manchester , † February 23, 1976 in Mottram in Longdendale ), mainly known as LS Lowry , was an English artist who was born in the Old Trafford district of Manchester. Most of his paintings represent the city of Salford , where the artist lived and worked for over 30 years.

Lowry is famous for his paintings depicting scenes from life in the industrial areas of northern England at the beginning of the 20th century. He had a very distinctive style of painting and is best known for the naive representation of urban landscapes, predominantly decorated in gray tones and smaller with numerous figures (matchstick men = matchstick figure) are populated. He also painted mysterious, deserted landscapes, portraits of people lost in thought and the 'Marionette' works that he had kept secret and that were only discovered after his death.

In the course of his long life, Lowry created over 1,000 paintings and 800 drawings. The Lowry Center in Salford houses the largest collection of his paintings. The Tate Gallery in London owns 23 of his works.

Lowry has turned down honorary degrees from the British royal family five times over the years .

Works (selection)

The most famous of his works are:

Going to Work , 1943
  • An Accident (1926)
  • A Street Scene (1928)
  • Coming from the Mill (1930)
  • The Fever Van (1935)
  • Head of a Man (1938)
  • Britain at Play (1943)
  • Good Friday, Daisy Nook (1946)
  • Going to the Match (1953)
  • A Young Man (1955)
  • The Sea (1963)

reception

  • Lowry suggested Francis Rossi to the song "Pictures of Matchstick Men", which his band Status Quo in 1968 released as a single.
  • The British duo Brian & Michael recorded the song Matchstalk Men and Matchstalk Cats and Dogs in Lowry's honor . In April 1978, the title was number one on the British hit list for three weeks. The song emphasizes that Lowry had an eye for the poor conditions in his home region and did not allow himself to be bent. "Now the Lowrys are hanging on the wall next to the greatest artists, and even the Mona Lisa bows," says the song.

Art market

Lowry's painting Going to the Match was sold at Sotheby’s in 1999 for £ 1,926,500, a record price for a modern work of art at the time. In 2007 the painting Good Friday, Daisy Nook fetched another record price of £ 3.8 million at Christie’s .

Lowry is one of the artists who have been counterfeited by Shaun Greenhalgh and sold as Lowry originals through art dealers or auction houses.

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ Great Britain: We don't want your medals, Your Majesty! FAZ , January 26, 2012, accessed on January 27, 2012 .
  2. ↑ Gerald Jatzek: Pictures from the life of the lower. Wiener Zeitung , June 24, 2013, accessed on June 24, 2013 .
  3. ↑ Lyrics , accessed May 29, 2019.
  4. ↑ Noah Charney: The Secrets of the Master BBC.com, accessed November 21, 2017.
personal data
SURNAME Lowry, Lawrence Stephen
ALTERNATIVE NAMES Lowry, LS
BRIEF DESCRIPTION British painter
DATE OF BIRTH November 1, 1887
PLACE OF BIRTH Manchester
DATE OF DEATH February 23, 1976
Place of death Mottram, Longdendale