A private view of L.S. Lowry

by Shelley Rohde

Corners of the covers and spine creased, page edges tanned. Orders received by 3pm Sent from the UK that weekday.

340 pages, Paperback

First published September 3, 1979

Reviews

[Kim · Rating 5 out of 5]

An enthralling biography about a great artist but a lonely man. My enjoyment was probably enhanced as I started reading it to coincide with a visit to Manchester where I was able to visit the Lowry Gallery to see some of the paintings and drawings being referenced and to learn more about Lowry himself from the current exhibition. Wonderful and very interesting read - 9.5/10.

[Stuart · Rating 4 out of 5]

"Had I not been lonely, I would not have seen what I did"

There was no solace still in mortal fame, but there was comfort yet in immortality?

[Ralph Britton · Rating 5 out of 5]

I am actually reviewing the full length biography of Lowry by this author, but I could not manage to get it to display. Th picture is of an earlier much shorter memoir. I don't think there is likely to be a better biography of Lowry than this one. Shelley Rohde became a personal friend of the artist and had access to his unpublished letters, notes and sketches. She does not attempt to guess at aspects of the man which he kept carefully hidden and which will never be entirely clear but she provides a full and sympathetic portrait of an unusual man and artist without concealment or whitewashing. This is a huge and detailed book that covers just about everything we can know about Lowry. For a while he has been neglected by the art establishment, but a recent retrospective in London marks a change. Salford Art Gallery always supported him and its huge collection, augmented by the artist's own gifts, has a permanent exhibition space in the Lowry Centre at Salford Quays. Reading this biography, or looking at his work at once puts paid to the myth of the self taught artist who could only draw stick people. The latest showing at Salford of some of his late, tortured sketches of young girls (which for many years were not thought suitable for exhibition) show some that would stand comparison with the German expressionists of the 1920s. Lowry was a man who deliberately concealed much of himself. This biography does perhaps the best job possible of revealing both the man and artist.

[Ian Chapman · Rating 4 out of 5]

A bit 1980s dated now, but still an engaging personal portrait of the painter. With much reference from people who knew Lowry, and some particularly interesting discussion of his job as a rent collector, which he kept quiet about.