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Manchester ARTICLES

Largest L.S Lowry Collection in Salford

18th April 2008

During his life Laurence Stephen Lowry produced up to a thousand paintings and well over eight hundred drawings.

L.S Lowry’s collection of work are known as being distinctive and focusing on urban landscapes with matchstick men as human figures.

He was also known for using drab colours in his paintings, unpopulated landscapes and brooding portraits.

The use of stylised figures such as the matchstick men and the lack of different weather effects in his pictures led to some calling it ‘naive’. Others have gone further and labelled his work as being in the style of a ‘Sunday painter’.

There are many public and private collections of L.S Lowry’s work, with the largest public collection being displayed by the City of Salford.

The purpose built art gallery The Lowry on Salford Quays is the permanent public display of L.S Lowry’s work and houses around 350 of his paintings and drawings.

The renowned picture ‘Going to the Match’ is owned by the Professional Footballers’ Association (PFA) and is also on display at The Lowry.

Recent X-ray analysis of Lowry’s artwork discovered that many hidden figures were present under the original drawings, which were called ‘Ann’ figures.

In London The Tate Gallery owns 23 of L.S Lowry works and his work is also on display at the MOMA in New York.

Southampton owns the pictures The Floating Bridge, The Canal Bridge and An Industrial Town.

On May 2nd, 2007 five of L.S Lowry’s art works were stolen from The Grove Fine Gallery in Cheshire.

The most valuable of all the paintings stolen was The Viaduct that had been estimated at £700,000. The second most valuable painting was The Tanker Entering the Tyne estimated at £500,000.

The other three paintings stolen were The Surgery, The Bridge at Ringley and The Street Market.

Source:
Wikipedia