Laurence Stephen Lowry (1887-1976)

The Canal Bridge

Lowry had a difficult childhood, one of his few pleasures being drawing. For much of his life he worked as a rent collector and had to study art in his spare time. In 1909 his family moved to Pendlebury an industrial district of Manchester. Initially he hated it but then became obsessed by it and found the subject matter for which he would become famous.

Like most of Lowry's industrial scenes The Canal Bridge is a composite made up of elements he had sketched, seen or imagined and is populated by his celebrated 'matchstick' people. With its white background and limited palette made from just five colours this painting could not be by any other artist.

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