Painting the Working Class: L. S. Lowry’s ‘Market Stalls’

Join Dr Joanne Crawford, Head of School for Fine Art, History of Art and Cultural Studies, to explore the context of Lowry’s ‘Market Stalls'

Take a deep dive into L.S. Lowry’s 1961 painting ‘Market Stalls’. Dr Crawford will use this painting as a starting point to look at the depiction of the working classes in mid Twentieth Century European painting. In particular, themes of simplicity and authenticity will be uncovered.

Looking at the wider socio-cultural contexts of the time, this talk will also focus on the increased visibility of the industrial north in art.

Born in Lancashire L. S. Lowry is known for his ‘naïve’ painting style. However, there was nothing naive about his depictions of the working classes in the north. His early training with the French artist Adolphe Valette gave him the wider context of the European art world in that period.

Make sure you arrive early to get a good look at ‘Market Stalls’, on display in The Stanley & Audrey Burton Gallery, before the talk starts. The work is on loan from Marks and Spencer Group plc for the benefit of the City of Leeds.