Head of a young man

Details

Laurence Stephen Lowry, R.A. (1887-1976)
Head of a young man
signed with initials and dated 'LSL 1950' (lower right), signed and dated again 'L.S. Lowry 1950.' (lower left)
pencil
15¾ x 11 in. (40 x 28 cm.)

Provenance

Purchased direct from the artist by the present owner in October 1963.

Exhibited

Halifax, Arts Festival, Town Hall, L.S. Lowry, September-October 1968, no. 29.
Manchester, Didsbury College, Collectors Choice Exhibition, November 1970 (no catalogue produced).
Kirkcaldy, Art Gallery, Group of Eight Exhibition, October 1971, no. 8.
Nottingham, University Art Gallery, L.S. Lowry, R.A., May-June 1974, no. 35.
Manchester, Whitworth Art Gallery, The Ives Collection of L.S. Lowry, February-March 1974, no. 4.
Mottram-in-Longdendale, The Old Courthouse, L.S. Lowry Mottram Memorial Exhibition, June 1977, no. 10 (illustrated).
Stalybridge, Astley Cheetham Art Gallery, L.S. Lowry, November-December 1983, no. 37 (illustrated).
Salford, Art Gallery, L.S. Lowry Centenary Exhibition, October-November 1987, no. 209 (illustrated).

Special notice

No VAT will be charged on the hammer price, but VAT at 17.5% will be added to the buyer's premium which is invoiced on a VAT inclusive basis.

Lot Essay

This was one of the earliest drawings bought from Lowry by Lawrence Ives. Lowry was pleased when he selected this work rather than one of the more popular industrial scenes and the choice helped to bond their early friendship.

Lawrence Ives recalls suggesting that the man in the drawing could be the artist himself when young and Lowry agreed,
'Yes, it could be, they say there is something of me in all of them, Sir!'
Later when the artist saw the drawing exhibited at Didsbury College in the 1969 exhibition he commented,
'They didn't used to like my heads; all they wanted were my people in the mills. They are changing now but I have always thought that my heads were amongst my best. There are not many heads, Sir, and you've got a good one.'

More from 20TH CENTURY BRITISH ART

View All