LS Lowry: Matchstick Men

Stephen Lowry, better known to the world as LS Lowry, was one of the most influential artists of the 20th century. Famous for painting industrial scenes from northern England in his distinctive style, his figures were dubbed "matchstick men".

In his lifetime, Lowry was labelled a naïve "Sunday painter" by his critics, not only because of the simplistic style of his figures, but also because he had a full-time job as a rent collector for around 40 years.

He always refuted the claims, calling himself "a Sunday painter who paints every day", while fulfilling his ambition to "put the industrial scene on the map". With a collection of his Modernist paintings fetching more than £15 million at auction in recent years, he is a much sought-after artist today.

A substantial collection of his work is displayed permanently in a purpose-built art gallery on Salford Quays - The Lowry is named in his honour.

Early years

Born on 1st November 1887, at Barrett Street, Stretford, Lowry said in later interviews that he had an unhappy childhood. He described his father, Robert, a clerk with an estate agency, as a "cold fish", while his mother, Elizabeth, was said to be "irritable and nervous", due to having been brought up by a stern father.

Lowry said his father showed him some affection, but faded into the background, as he was dominated by his wife who suffered ill health. Lowry maintained he grew up in an "oppressive" atmosphere, with his family suffering financial problems, causing them to move to Station Road, Pendlebury - an industrial town.

After spending his early years in the leafy Manchester suburbs, he suddenly found himself in a town where the landscape consisted of textile mills rather than trees.

He confessed to hating it at first, but then gradually he became more interested in his surroundings, until one day, he saw the huge black framework of the Acme Spinning Company's mill and felt inspired.

He wrote later that the mill was "turning out hundreds of little pinched figures, heads bent down" - a scene he had seen many times before, but on this occasion, he looked on "with rapture". This was the start of his fascination with painting the industrial scenes for which he became famous.

Studies and career

Lowry left school at 16 and became a clerk at an accountancy firm to help the family budget.  After embarking on a career as a rent collector in his early 20s, he was never able to become a full-time artist.

He took night classes in art in his youth, winning a place at Manchester School of Art in 1905, when he was 18. His tutor was the French Impressionist, Pierre Adolphe Valette. Lowry heaped praise on Valette, saying he "couldn't over-estimate" the effect of his tutorage.

Despite being a rent collector, in 1915 he also began studying art at the Royal Technical Institute, Salford (now Salford University) until 1925, and it was here that he further developed his interest in industrial landscapes and established his own unique style.

His early oil paintings were darkly impressionistic, but he gradually moved away from his sombre palette and started to use a white background. A distinctive painting style developed, as Lowry depicted urban landscapes populated with humans going about their daily business.

He also painted unpopulated, mysterious landscapes, portraits and sketches of mannequins which became known as his "marionette" works. These weren't discovered until after his death in 1976, as they had never been published.

Among his most famous paintings during his lifetime were Going to the Match in 1928, Coming from the Mill in 1930, Industrial Landscape in 1955 and Portrait of Ann in 1957, depicting an unknown female subject.

In an interview with the Manchester Guardian, Lowry said the subject was a 25-year-old Leeds resident called Ann, whose parents had been "very good" to him. However, her identity has always remained a mystery.

Personal life

After his father's death in 1932, the artist became his mother's carer, as she was bedridden and subject to depression. He would paint between 10pm and 2am, as this was the only time he had the opportunity to do so.

His mother died in October 1938 and many years later, after Lowry's work became more successful, he spoke of his regret that his paintings hadn't become popular during her lifetime, so he could share his good fortune with her.

Following her death, he became depressed and went through a period of great hardship, allowing his house to fall into disrepair. However, he had enough money by this time to move to a new property - The Elms, in Mottram in Longdendale.

During World War II, he was a volunteer firewatcher in Manchester, spending many hours on the rooftops of department stores such as Lewis's and Debenhams, as the Luftwaffe wreaked havoc, destroying the landscape. This was reflected in paintings such as Saturday Afternoon, which was painted in 1941. This particular piece depicted a group of children playing football on a patch of land that once housed terraced homes, until they were bombed.

Lowry later moved to Cheshire, a more rural area, although admitted to never really settling there. He never married and was a very private man, although he had long friendships with the Salford artist Harold Riley, Cumberland artist Sheila Fell and an unrelated artist called Carol Ann Lowry, who had originally written to him, asking his advice on becoming an artist.

Accolades

Lowry was awarded an honorary Master of Arts degree by the University of Manchester in 1945 and became an Associate member of the Royal Academy of Arts in April 1955, becoming a full Royal Academician in April 1962.

In 1965, he received the freedom of the city of Salford. In 1975, the Universities of Salford and Liverpool awarded him honorary Doctor of Letters degrees.

Lowry died of pneumonia on 23rd February 1976, at the age of 88, leaving the wonderful legacy of all his paintings for future generations to enjoy.

Following his death, the pop-folk duo, Brian and Michael, recorded the tribute song, Matchstalk Men and Matchstalk Cats and Dogs with the St Winifred's School Choir in 1978, which reached number one in the UK singles chart. It was their only big hit.



Lowry's paintings are worth a fortune today - in March 2014, a collection of his oil paintings that had belonged to the late Cambridgeshire businessman Tony Thompson sold for more than £15 million at auction house Sotheby's. The best-seller was a painting of London's Piccadilly Circus, which sold for £5.1 million.

Storing art supplies

When you're looking for storage solutions for art supplies and accessories, look no further than Solent Plastics. Our wide range of clear plastic boxes would be perfect for the job!

We also have a range of Really Useful boxes in many shapes and sizes - up to 145 litres. Please contact us for more details.