L.S. Lowry
1 of 22 portraits of L.S. Lowry
© Carol A. Lowry
L.S. Lowry
by L.S. Lowry
pencil, circa 1920
15 in. x 11 in. (381 mm x 279 mm)
Purchased, 1987
Primary Collection
NPG 5951
Sitterback to top
- Laurence Stephen ('L.S.') Lowry (1887-1976), Painter. Sitter in 22 portraits, Artist or producer of 2 portraits.
Artistback to top
- Laurence Stephen ('L.S.') Lowry (1887-1976), Painter. Artist or producer of 2 portraits, Sitter in 22 portraits.
This portraitback to top
Lowry described standing on Pendlebury Station in 1916, and waking to the beauties of the northern indus trial landscape. His work has a unique place in twentieth-century British art for his idiosyncratic vision of those landscapes, peopled with matchstick figures, sets him apart from the mainstream, but is nevertheless in the tradition of English visionary artists such as William Blake and Stanley Spencer. His self-portraits were always given general titles which conferred an anonimity in keeping with his reclusive nature. This self portrait was entitled simply 'Head of a Man'. The critic Mervyn Levy has said that it is in no way a literal or factually accurate portrait, being more about a state of mind and intended to express a sense of loneliness.
Linked publicationsback to top
- Saywell, David; Simon, Jacob, Complete Illustrated Catalogue, 2004, p. 391
Events of 1920back to top
Current affairs
The Government of Ireland Act (Fourth Home Rule Bill) partitions Ireland into the Irish Free State with a devolved parliament in Dublin and Northern Ireland with a devolved parliament in Belfast.The Communist Party of Great Britain is founded in London, uniting a number of independent socialist and Marxist parties into a single, united party.
Art and science
Queen Alexandra unveils a monument to Edith Cavell in St Martin's Place opposite the National Portrait Gallery. The English nurse was executed in Germany for helping hundreds of allied soldiers to cross the border from occupied Belgium to the neutral Netherlands.George V officially opens the Imperial War Museum at the Crystal Palace.
International
The Kapp Putsch threatens the newly formed Weimar Republic. In defiance of the Treaty of Versailles, the leaders of the Marinebrigade Ehrhardt refused to disband and marched on Berlin, occupying it on the 13th March. With the general army refusing to defend the city, the government fled to Stuttgart. The rebellion, however, failed after the workers joined a general strike, disabling their plans.Comments back to top
We are currently unable to accept new comments, but any past comments are available to read below.
If you need information from us, please use our Archive enquiry service . Please note that we cannot provide valuations. You can buy a print or greeting card of most illustrated portraits. Select the portrait of interest to you, then look out for a Buy a Print button. Prices start at around £6 for unframed prints, £16 for framed prints. If you wish to license an image, select the portrait of interest to you, then look out for a Use this image button, or contact our Rights and Images service. We digitise over 8,000 portraits a year and we cannot guarantee being able to digitise images that are not already scheduled.