An Isolated Figure Who Filled A Generation Into The Areas Of Industrial Lancashire

An Isolated Figure Who Filled A Generation Into The Areas Of Industrial Lancashire

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A pot of honey was the charge Lowry received for the last two of his three thousand works. They were given to a friend of twenty years, John Morris, for whom Lowry had previously drawn several sketches in exchange for a few bars of chocolate. The Lancashire artist's final drawings were two sketches , quickly drawn on the back of a bow-tie box with a japanese felt tip pen. One is of a Salford street scene, The other is a sketch of Mr Morris's dog Labrador, Rex. It is inscribed 'To Rex, with best wishes'

Mr Morris of Heaton Road, Stockport, said "All he wanted for them was the pot of honey, which I had taken for him anyway. He loved honey and bars of chocolate too, which I used to pop through his letter box as my calling card. It was a bit of humour between us. He drew quite a number of drawings for me, which I gave to charity, and all for a few bars of chocolate. He was very kind, with a enormous sense of humour, but very isolated.

When Lowry died the population of the world was three and a half thousand million. The probability therefore of succeeding in worldwide recognition were very small, yet, here was an artist, whose paintings had become instantly recognisable , viewed anywhere from Leeds to Barcelona. At the age of eighty eight, Lowry passed away. He is widely regarded as a genius , yet it brought him little pleasure and comfort. He was tall in stature and lived alone, isolated, without ostentation, and for years he had tended to complain about having no. He had many visitors. but when he had enough of their company, he would yawn. A type of yawn that was an unmistakable signal; that he wished to be alone.

Lowry was amazed by the industry and the people around him, and never sawwhy they had not been seriously painted before. So he decided to have a go. He managed to achieve this, but suffered on the way. During this period he was selling one painting a year for around thirty pounds. He often gave an expression of seriousness, but behind that look there was a strange sense of humour. He would say to budding artists, "Give it up before it is too late." To others he would say, "I am unbelievablyincorrigibly lazy, perhaps that is the reason I have been so industrious all my days." Or, "Look at that cemetry, nobody there is complaining." Or, "A married man exists like a dog and dies like a king; a batchelor lives like a king and dies like a dog." He finished with painting more often than his contemporaries started, there are many references to 'Last Interviews'. He always thought of 1918-1930 as his finest period because he was 'fresh to it'. When a buyer once said "Mr Lowry, you haven't dated this painting." He replied with a serious look, "Oh, haven't I? What would you prefer, 1929 was an excellent year."

On one occasion he said, "I suppose if I had my life again I would be a painter, but I don't think much of it as a job. You get fed up of painting pictures, It's work like any other job."

About the Author:
David Tatham has been working in the world of fine arts for over many years and . His website contains a wealth of information, also hundreds signed, limited edition prints and original paintings by world famous artists,eg. The conservationist and wildlife artist, David Shepherd http://www.davidshepherd.com .



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