- 14
Laurence Stephen Lowry, R.A.
Description
- Laurence Stephen Lowry, R.A.
- Outside the Factory
- signed and dated 56
- oil on canvas
- 36 by 26cm.; 14 by 10in.
Provenance
Condition
"In response to your inquiry, we are pleased to provide you with a general report of the condition of the property described above. Since we are not professional conservators or restorers, we urge you to consult with a restorer or conservator of your choice who will be better able to provide a detailed, professional report. Prospective buyers should inspect each lot to satisfy themselves as to condition and must understand that any statement made by Sotheby's is merely a subjective, qualified opinion. Prospective buyers should also refer to any Important Notices regarding this sale, which are printed in the Sale Catalogue.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF BUSINESS PRINTED IN THE SALE CATALOGUE."
Catalogue Note
Never before seen in public, the painting showcases the artist at his very best; presenting the same central themes that he had focused on in his larger canvases, from the early 1920s right through the end of his life. As in some of his most famous works, such as Coming From the Mill (1930, The Lowry, Salford), the present scene shows both work and play in a single composition; the scattered milling crowds of the foreground, complete with scampering dogs seen alongside the small row of neat terraced houses, all watched over by the tall, looming chimneys of the factory that dominate the background. Through his sparse use of bold, flecked reds, Lowry artfully draws the viewer’s eye across from the lower left and up through the composition, down the diagonal road and on to the ghost-like buildings that one is just about able to make out in the distance. The scene captures the total world of the factory-worker, and the very public theatre of everyday life played out on in the streets of the early 1950s.
With his trademark use of flake white impasto, Lowry captures the bleak, smog-filled environment that he knew so well, yet imbues the scene with a certain warmth with the deep, rich reds of the buildings of the immediate foreground. With their warm hues, the houses stand apart from the cold, grey factory and their smoky surrounds, showcasing the artist’s familiarity with the urban streets that he would walk every day on his rounds as a rent collector in the city. On these rounds he would meet the locals, getting to know their personal traits and characteristics, often sketching them on scraps of paper, all of which come across in the confidence of execution in the present work. This is a scene humming with activity, whether in the woman and her unruly dog in the lower left, the small gang of children escaping up the road, or the gathering of women, deep in conversation or local gossip in the foreground. Looking closely to the centre in the immediate foreground our thoughts are drawn to the artist himself, as we see a lone, black bowler-hatted figure in a long black coat, patiently observing the drama of everyday life unfold before him.