LS Lowry

Laurence Stephen Lowry (1 November 1887 – 23 February 1976) was an English artist best known for his urban landscapes of industrial districts in North West England, particularly Pendlebury, Greater Manchester, where he lived and worked for more than 40 years. He painted scenes of everyday life, often featuring stylised human figures, colloquially known as “matchstick men.”

Lowry’s works also include mysterious unpopulated landscapes, brooding portraits, and a series of unpublished “marionette” pieces, discovered posthumously. His interest in the sea led him to create seascapes from the early 1940s, depicting only sea and sky.

His distinct style—featuring figures with no shadows and landscapes without weather effects—led some critics to label him a naïve “Sunday painter.” Despite this, Lowry’s work remains iconic, and he rejected five British honours, including a knighthood in 1968.

A collection of his work is housed in The Lowry gallery at Salford Quays, and in 2013, a major retrospective of his work was held at Tate Britain, marking his first exhibition at the gallery. In 2014, he had his first solo exhibition outside the UK, in Nanjing, China.