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Canal and Factories
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? Estate of L.S. Lowry

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Canal and Factories 1955
The scene depicted in this painting is based on cityscapes from Runcorn and Widnes, on the river Mersey. Although Lowry's paintings may at first seem naïve, they are rigorously composed and intricately patterned. For example, the two chimneys on the building in the foreground echo the two industrial chimneys behind. The arched roof of the church rhymes wittily with both the lamppost beside it and the domed roof on the horizon. Lowry's famous 'matchstick' people populate the scene, while the narrow range of tones evokes what Lowry called the 'apocalypse of grime.'

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Naïve art

Work by self-taught artists who don't adhere to traditional representational practices or other artistic conventions.

Naïve art

Details

  • Acc. No. GMA 1349
  • Medium Oil on canvas
  • Size 61.00 x 76.30 cm (framed: 79.70 x 95.80 x 5.50 cm)
  • Credit Purchased 1975

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