Laurence Stephen Lowry, R.A.

Alex Reid & Lefevre, London
Private Collection, U.K., by whom bequeathed to the present owner

The canvas is unlined and appears to be providing a good sound support. There are several short and very characteristic hairline cracks and ridges in the upper part of the picture and below the fence. In these areas the surface appears to be lifting slightly but overall, the work appears to be in good sound and stable condition throughout. The paint surface is however very dirty and flecked by fly spots - as such it would benefit greatly from a professional clean. Inspection under UV light does not reveal any later retouchings. Presented unglazed in a moulded wood frame with three chips. Though the frame is structurally sound, the work would benefit from re-presentation. .
"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."

Since his death in 1976, Lowry's position as perhaps the most popular British artist of the century has been secured, and he has been the subject of many exhibitions and publications. However, the growing appreciation of his whole oeuvre has allowed us greater opportunity to look at the less obvious elements of his work, and one theme that strikes any observer of his paintings, and which recurs increasingly in the latter part of his career, is that of loneliness.

In 1968, and thus well before the painter's death, Crane Kalman Gallery held a pioneering exhibition, The Loneliness of L.S.Lowry, which was the first to focus on the element of unquiet and distance from the world in his work and was a genuine surprise to those more familiar with the archetypical 'industrial' Lowry. Within this body of work, it is the empty landscapes, the sea paintings, the outcasts and perhaps most of all, the single figure compositions that evoke this sense.

The haunting qualities that Lowry was able to imbue into his work was evident from the earliest paintings, such as Boy in a Yellow Jacket of 1935 (Private Collection) and The Landmark of 1936 but it was in the small single figure compositions that he began to produce from the 1950s onwards that the sense of a subject outside the main sun of life became ever more evident. Seen by many writers as the artist's alter-ego, they frequently stare directly out of the canvas at the viewer, rarely engaged in any activity, and are often either ungainly and ill at ease, or are 'odd' in some way. As Michael Howard notes, many of the more elaborate single figure images of the 1960s are seen from a low viewpoint, as though seen by a child, as in Man in an Archway of c.1965 and this is true of the present work. Unmarried, Lowry nevertheless took a keen interest in younger friends, especially artists, and his support helped many. The awkward figure of Man Looking Over Fence closely resembles the artist's painted alter-ego, but he is apart from us, stuck behind the railings that run across the full width of the image. His expression is beneficent, as though he wishes to join us but cannot, trapped.