Town steps Maryport
L.S. Lowry
R.B.A., R.A.
Laurence Stephen Lowry, R.A. (1887-1976)
Town Steps, Maryport
signed and dated 'L.S. LOWRY 1954' (lower right)
oil on canvas
24 x 20 in. (61 x 50.8 cm.)
Provenance
Acquired by the present owner before 1968.
The Lord Forte Collection of Works by L.S. Lowry
The Forte family name is synonymous with the world famous hotel brand which was established by the entrepreneurial
magnate Charles Forte (1908-2007), who created a worldwide empire of restaurants and hotels from virtually nothing.
He was born in Monforte, in the region of Lazio in Italy, and at the age of four moved to Scotland with his family,
where they set up local cafes and ice-cream shops. As an adult Charles Forte worked with his family, moving to Brighton
at the age of 22 to manage the 'Venetian Lounge' for his cousin. In 1935, at the age of 26, he opened his first milk bar
on Regent Street, London, going on to build an impressive portfolio and a company which was FTSE 100 listed.
This is a legacy of excellence which now lives on in the form of the Rocco Forte Hotels, a collection of five-star hotels.
Comprised entirely of important oil paintings which date from the 1930s to 1960s, this remarkable collection of works
by L.S. Lowry was passionately assembled with Lord Forte's discerning eye, largely during the artist's lifetime, in the 1960s, 1970s and 1980s.
It is the most significant collection of works by L.S. Lowry ever to come to auction. It's a mistake to underestimate L.S. Lowry, and to dismiss
him as a naive or repetitious painter of industrial scenes full of scurrying figures. He was one of the great originals, who commanded a vision
as singular as William Blake's.
Lowry is often referred to as self-taught, yet he studied extensively at Manchester Municipal College of Art under the French Impressionist
Adolphe Valette, and later attended life classes at Salford School of Art. He was an industrious student who developed the technical abilities
to match his unique vision.
His drawing was strong but subtle, and he invented an impressive shorthand that could make stylisation interesting. His handling of paint
few can use white with such authority and range - was deeply sophisticated, and his imagery is far more varied than the Lowry stereotype allows.