Portrait of a Young Man

Lowry's portraiture is always challenging and demanding. The artist used portrait heads, of himself, other figures and family groups as an outlet for the expression of his moods, sometimes traumatic and disturbing. This externalisation of the private self often resulted in paintings dominated by a brutal honesty and loneliness.

The sitter is rarely identified but frequently portrayed with staring eyes and a sombre mood. Lowry considered these works to be somewhat emancipating as they offered an opportunity to express his moods and the resulting works are remarkably personal.