Laurence Stephen Lowry

L.S. Lowry (born 1887) is an extremely popular artist who specialized in almost idyllic scenes of industry, in his home country of England.   He worked hard as an artist to find his own style, limiting himself to a small palette of colors and often painting on stark white backgrounds.  This is the painting "The Canal Bridge" from the year 1949:

Living away from London, Lowry was considered a melancholy loner. While in his mid-40's, the death of his father brought a crippling depression to his mother, and Lowry spent many an hour taking care of his bed ridden parent.  Unfortunately, his mother also passed away too soon... and just shortly before Lowry could be regarded as a success as an artist.  Lowry was fascinated by the increasing industrialization of his environment, somehow finding comfort in the sad, dirty buildings, or perhaps using them as a way to express his inner turmoil.  


The gentle though high contrast colors, and the forward-leaning gait of the persons (seemingly eager to go where they're going?) makes "The Canal Bridge" a pleasant painting to look at.  A small gathering of apparently youthful people in the lower right gives the work something of an upbeat social aspect to it.  It seems that Lowry accomplished here what I believe should be a purpose of art, which is to make better the scene before you, or, if painting melancholy, to attach a bit of sweet nostalgia to it.  


Lowry died at age 88, in 1976.