Grove Fine Art

The leading authority on L. S. Lowry

Catalogue

Original paintings and prints for sale from leading artists including L. S. Lowry.

View Our Catalogue

It is with deep regret that we announce the death of our director, Ivan Aird, following a period of illness.

Welcome to Grove Fine Art

The leading authority on L. S. Lowry

Grove Fine Art has an unrivalled specialist knowledge in L. S. Lowry originals, based upon a long standing family relationship with the Salford artist. This puts Grove Fine Art in a unique position in the art world as our company directors have personal knowledge of Lowry's working methods, source material and background, dating back over 40 years.

L. S. Lowry was a frequent visitor to our director's family home in Cheshire on most Saturdays during the 1960's and up to the mid 1970's. During this time Mr George Aird was buying a major proportion of the artist's work directly from Mr Lowry, and this was the part of the childhood environment that Ivan Aird grew up with and gradually developed a life-long passion for the highly distinctive, collectable and Internationally famous artist that Lowry has now become.

Click the button below to read Ivan Aird's fascinating account of his childhood memories with L. S. Lowry.

Ivan Aird: Memories with L. S. Lowry


L-R: George Aird, L. S. Lowry, Ivan Aird

L-R: Ivan Aird, L. S. Lowry, Joyce Aird

'LS Lowry didn't have any airs or graces'

George Aird remembers when LS Lowry was immortalised in bronze in 1975


L.S. Lowry, George Aird, Sam Tonkiss
George Aird remembers when LS Lowry was immortalised in bronze, 1975 Photo: Sefton Samuels frps

I was Mr Lowry’s agent, and another client of mine said that a sculptor called Sam Tonkiss, who was relatively well known at the time, would like to make a bust of him. So I asked Mr Lowry if he would sit for it, and he said yes. Mr Tonkiss [right] made the bust in clay over a number of sittings, then sent it off to a factory in Birmingham to be cast in bronze. This photograph was taken at my house in Manchester when Mr Tonkiss showed Mr Lowry the finished bust for the first time. Mr Lowry was very pleased with it, and said so, but I don’t think he would have said anything else. I remember once I took a picture to show him and he said, 'I don’t care much for that.’ Then I said that I’d painted it and he immediately said, 'Oh, that's very, very good.’

I first met Mr Lowry when he had an exhibition at Salford Art Gallery, and he came up to me and asked me which was my favourite picture. I liked one of the pastels, it was a bit like something by the French Impressionists, and I know when I like a picture because it does something to your insides. I did like his paintings, and over the years I bought them, too. I had three Lowrys at one point – there is one on the wall in this picture – but I’ve sold them on now. The last one made quite a lot of money.

This picture was taken about a year before he died, and by then he was quite a rich man and a bit of a celebrity, but he didn’t have any airs or graces. He looks quite smart in the photograph, but when he was painting he used to wipe his hands on his suit and his coat. He kept saying he was going to buy a new suit but he never did when I knew him. We got on very well and I used to visit him at home. His house was a dump – it didn’t have hot water or anything – but he was happy with it. He had an electric fire in his front room, but it had only one bar working. He used to hold his foot by the bar; once, he burnt the bottom of his slipper. Later somebody fitted a gas fire for him and the whole room was quite warm then. He had a telephone, but you couldn’t ring him – so he would ring me twice a week and I used to take him to Stanneylands on the East Lancashire Road for lunch. We would talk about pictures and other artists. My son Ivan was quite small and he’d come with me and have a glass of milk. Mr Lowry always stretched across the table to try and pinch it. He used to say, 'If we all went to the gents at the same time then we could get out of the window without paying.’ Not that he ever would.

L. S. Lowry: A Chronology
1887
Born Laurence Stephen Lowry on 1 November at Barrett Street, Manchester, the only child of Robert and Elizabeth
1889
The family move to 4 Ellesmere Street, Longsight.
1898-1903
The family move to 14 Pine Grove in Victoria Park. After leaving school Lowry fails to secure a place as a full-time student at Manchester Municipal Collage of Art. He takes private tuition from the artist Reginald Barber.
1904-1907
Works as a clerk for Thomas Aldred and Son (Chartered Accountants).
1905-1915
Attends evening classes at the Municipal Collage of Art where he meets tutor Adolphe Valette (1876-1942)
1907
Works as a claims clerk for the General Accident, Fire and Life Assurance Corporation until made redundant in 1910. Continues his art studies under the artist William Fitz.
1909
The family move to 117 Station Road Pendlebury for business reasons. It is the first indication of financial difficulties.
1910
Lowry is employed as a rent collector and clerk for the Pall Mall Company Ltd
1915-1925
Attends Salford School of Art under Bernard D Taylor.
1919
The Annual Manchester City Gallery features three pictures by Lowry.
1921
In October Lowry exhibits pictures in Manchester. A review in the Manchester Guardian singles him out from his co-exhibitors as someone who may make a real contribution to art.
1930
An Accident is the first painting bought for a public collection, by Manchester City Art Gallery.
1932
Robert Lowry dies suddenly of pneumonia and his considerable debts are revealed. Lowry's work is exhibited at the Royal Academy in London.
1934
Elected a member of the Manchester Academy and the Royal Society of British Artists.
1936
A Street Scene, St Simons Church (1928) becomes the first Lowry purchased by Salford City Art Gallery.
1939
Lowry has his one-man show at the Alex Reid and Lefevre Gallery, London. Later that year his mother dies.
1943
The War Arts Advisory Committee appoints Lowry as an official War artist.
1945
Lowry receives an honorary MA from University of Manchester. He has a second one-man show at Alex Reid and Lefevre Gallery and pictures sell well, making this his first major success.
1948
Lowry leaves Pendlebury and settles at The Elms in Mottram-in-Longendale
1952
Retires from the Pall Mall Property Company.
1953
The Football Association launches the Football and the Fine Arts competition. Going to the Match wins fifth prize.
1955
Elected Associate of Royal Academy.
1962
Becomes a Royal Academician.
1963
The Hallé Orchestra celebrates Lowry's 77th birthday with a concert in his honour.
1965
Receives the freedom of City of Salford.
1975
Receives honorary Doctorates of Literature from both the University of Salford and University of Liverpool.
1976
Admitted to hospital following a stroke, Lowry dies of pneumonia on the 23 February. In September the Royal Academy mounts a major retrospective of his work, which attracts more than 300,000 visitors.