L.S. Lowry

Canal and Factories

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About this artwork

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.'

Updated before 2020

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  • artist:
    L.S. Lowry (1887 - 1976) English
  • title:
    Canal and Factories
  • date created:
    1955
  • materials:
    Oil on canvas
  • measurements:
    61.00 x 76.30 cm; Framed: 79.70 x 95.80 x 5.50 cm
  • object type:
  • credit line:
    Purchased 1975
  • accession number:
    GMA 1349
  • gallery:
  • subject:
  • artwork photographed by:
    Antonia Reeve
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L.S. Lowry

L.S. Lowry