The Concise Oxford Dictionary of Art and Artists (283 page)
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Authors: Ian Chilvers
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Lowry , L. S.
(Laurence Stephen )
(Laurence Stephen )
(1887–1976).
British painter. He lived all his life in or near Manchester (mainly in Salford) and worked as a rent collector and clerk for a property company until he retired in 1952. His painting was done mainly at night after his day's work, but he was not a
naïve
painter, having studied intermittently at art schools from 1905 to 1925. The most important of his teachers—at Manchester School of Art—was Adolphe Valette (1876–1942), a French painter who settled in Manchester in 1905 and whose work includes some memorably atmospheric views of the city. Lowry, too, concentrated on urban subjects, developing a highly distinctive type of picture featuring firmly drawn backgrounds of industrial buildings bathed in a white haze, against which groups or crowds of figures, painted in his characteristic stick-like manner, move about their affairs isolated in an intensely individual, personal life. There is sometimes an element of humour, but his paintings generally embody a disquieting vision, revealing a sense of alienation and man's inconsequence against the juggernaut of industrialism (he was a solitary character and said ‘Had I not been lonely I should not have seen what I did’). Although he achieved national recognition with an exhibition at the Reid and Lefevre Gallery in London in 1939, he remained an elusive figure until a large retrospective exhibition arranged by the Arts Council in 1966 (he led a spartan existence and had no great desire to exhibit or sell his pictures). Ten years later, a few months after his death, a comprehensive retrospective exhibition of his work at the Royal Academy brought considerable divergence of opinion among critics. Some thought of him as a great artist with an important original vision. Others represented him as a very minor talent, although interesting as a social commentator.
British painter. He lived all his life in or near Manchester (mainly in Salford) and worked as a rent collector and clerk for a property company until he retired in 1952. His painting was done mainly at night after his day's work, but he was not a
naïve
painter, having studied intermittently at art schools from 1905 to 1925. The most important of his teachers—at Manchester School of Art—was Adolphe Valette (1876–1942), a French painter who settled in Manchester in 1905 and whose work includes some memorably atmospheric views of the city. Lowry, too, concentrated on urban subjects, developing a highly distinctive type of picture featuring firmly drawn backgrounds of industrial buildings bathed in a white haze, against which groups or crowds of figures, painted in his characteristic stick-like manner, move about their affairs isolated in an intensely individual, personal life. There is sometimes an element of humour, but his paintings generally embody a disquieting vision, revealing a sense of alienation and man's inconsequence against the juggernaut of industrialism (he was a solitary character and said ‘Had I not been lonely I should not have seen what I did’). Although he achieved national recognition with an exhibition at the Reid and Lefevre Gallery in London in 1939, he remained an elusive figure until a large retrospective exhibition arranged by the Arts Council in 1966 (he led a spartan existence and had no great desire to exhibit or sell his pictures). Ten years later, a few months after his death, a comprehensive retrospective exhibition of his work at the Royal Academy brought considerable divergence of opinion among critics. Some thought of him as a great artist with an important original vision. Others represented him as a very minor talent, although interesting as a social commentator.
Lucas van Leyden
(1494?–1533).
Netherlandish engraver and painter, born and mainly active in Leiden. He was the pupil of his father, from whose hand no works are known, and of Cornelis
Engelbrechtsz
, but both of these were painters whereas Lucas himself was principally an engraver. Where he learnt engraving is unknown, but he was highly skilled in that art at a very early age; the earliest known print by him (
Mohammed and the Murdered Monk
) dates from 1508, when he was perhaps only 14, yet reveals no trace of immaturity in inspiration or technique. In 1514 he entered the Painters' Guild at Leiden. He seems to have travelled a certain amount, and visits are recorded to Antwerp in 1521, the year of
Dürer's
Netherlandish journey, and to Middelburg in 1527, when he met
Gossaert
. An unbroken series of dated engravings makes it possible to follow his career as a print-maker and to date many of his paintings, but no clear pattern of stylistic development emerges. Dürer was the single greatest influence on him, but Lucas was less intellectual in his approach, tending to concentrate on the anecdotal features of the subject and to take delight in
caricatures
and
genre
motifs. Van
Mander
characterizes Lucas as a pleasure-loving dilettante, who sometimes worked in bed, but he left a large
œuvre
, in spite of his fairly early death, and must have been a prodigious worker. Lucas had a great reputation in his day (
Vasari
even rated him above Dürer) and is universally regarded as one of the greatest figures in the history of
graphic art
(he made etchings and woodcuts as well as engravings and was a prolific draughtsman). His status as a painter is less elevated, but he was undoubtedly one of the outstanding Netherlandish painters of his period. He was a pioneer of the Netherlandish genre tradition, as witness his
Chess Players
(Staatliche Museen, Berlin)—which actually represents a variant game called ‘courier’—and his
Card Players
(Wilton House, Wiltshire), while his celebrated
Last Judgement
triptych
(Lakenhal Museum, Leiden, 1526–7) shows the heights to which he could rise as a religious painter. It eloquently displays his vivid imaginative powers, his marvellous skill as a colourist and his deft and fluid brushwork. Lucas left no pupils or direct followers, but his work was a stimulus to an even greater Leiden-born artist,
Rembrandt
.
Netherlandish engraver and painter, born and mainly active in Leiden. He was the pupil of his father, from whose hand no works are known, and of Cornelis
Engelbrechtsz
, but both of these were painters whereas Lucas himself was principally an engraver. Where he learnt engraving is unknown, but he was highly skilled in that art at a very early age; the earliest known print by him (
Mohammed and the Murdered Monk
) dates from 1508, when he was perhaps only 14, yet reveals no trace of immaturity in inspiration or technique. In 1514 he entered the Painters' Guild at Leiden. He seems to have travelled a certain amount, and visits are recorded to Antwerp in 1521, the year of
Dürer's
Netherlandish journey, and to Middelburg in 1527, when he met
Gossaert
. An unbroken series of dated engravings makes it possible to follow his career as a print-maker and to date many of his paintings, but no clear pattern of stylistic development emerges. Dürer was the single greatest influence on him, but Lucas was less intellectual in his approach, tending to concentrate on the anecdotal features of the subject and to take delight in
caricatures
and
genre
motifs. Van
Mander
characterizes Lucas as a pleasure-loving dilettante, who sometimes worked in bed, but he left a large
œuvre
, in spite of his fairly early death, and must have been a prodigious worker. Lucas had a great reputation in his day (
Vasari
even rated him above Dürer) and is universally regarded as one of the greatest figures in the history of
graphic art
(he made etchings and woodcuts as well as engravings and was a prolific draughtsman). His status as a painter is less elevated, but he was undoubtedly one of the outstanding Netherlandish painters of his period. He was a pioneer of the Netherlandish genre tradition, as witness his
Chess Players
(Staatliche Museen, Berlin)—which actually represents a variant game called ‘courier’—and his
Card Players
(Wilton House, Wiltshire), while his celebrated
Last Judgement
triptych
(Lakenhal Museum, Leiden, 1526–7) shows the heights to which he could rise as a religious painter. It eloquently displays his vivid imaginative powers, his marvellous skill as a colourist and his deft and fluid brushwork. Lucas left no pupils or direct followers, but his work was a stimulus to an even greater Leiden-born artist,
Rembrandt
.
Luchism
.
.
Luini , Bernardino
(
c.
1480–1532).
Milanese painter, one of the most prominent of
Leonardo's
followers in Lombardy. Little is known of his life, but his prolific output indicates that he must have enjoyed a successful career (he was unusual among Leonardo's followers in that he painted numerous frescos as well as easel pictures). Luini sentimentalized Leonardo's style, and this helped to win him great popularity with the Victorians. His work is well represented in the Brera in Milan and many of his frescos and altarpieces are in Lombard churches. He painted mythological as well as religious subjects, an example being
Cephalus and Procris
in the National Gallery, Washington. Luini's best work is of high quality, but he ran a busy workship and some of his followers and copyists vulgarized his style into almost a parody of Leonardo, with sickly smirks and exaggerated
chiaroscuro
.
c.
1480–1532).
Milanese painter, one of the most prominent of
Leonardo's
followers in Lombardy. Little is known of his life, but his prolific output indicates that he must have enjoyed a successful career (he was unusual among Leonardo's followers in that he painted numerous frescos as well as easel pictures). Luini sentimentalized Leonardo's style, and this helped to win him great popularity with the Victorians. His work is well represented in the Brera in Milan and many of his frescos and altarpieces are in Lombard churches. He painted mythological as well as religious subjects, an example being
Cephalus and Procris
in the National Gallery, Washington. Luini's best work is of high quality, but he ran a busy workship and some of his followers and copyists vulgarized his style into almost a parody of Leonardo, with sickly smirks and exaggerated
chiaroscuro
.
Luks , George
(1867–1933).
American painter and graphic artist. In 1894, after a decade's travel in Europe, he became an illustrator on the
Philadelphia Press
and became friendly with other newspaper artists—
Glackens
,
Shinn
, and
Sloan
—who introduced him to Robert
Henri
. In 1896 Luks moved to New York, where he turned more to painting and became a member of The
Eight
and the
Ash-can School
. A flamboyant character who identified himself with the poorer classes and made a pose of bohemianism, he was much given to tall tales and sometimes posed as ‘Lusty Luks’, an ex-boxer. His work was uneven and unpredictable. It had vigour and spontaneity but often lapsed into superficial vitality. One of his best-known works is
The Wrestlers
(Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, 1905), which shows his preference for earthy themes and admiration for the bravura painterly technique of artists such as
Manet
. Luks taught for several years at the
Art Students League
and also ran his own school.
American painter and graphic artist. In 1894, after a decade's travel in Europe, he became an illustrator on the
Philadelphia Press
and became friendly with other newspaper artists—
Glackens
,
Shinn
, and
Sloan
—who introduced him to Robert
Henri
. In 1896 Luks moved to New York, where he turned more to painting and became a member of The
Eight
and the
Ash-can School
. A flamboyant character who identified himself with the poorer classes and made a pose of bohemianism, he was much given to tall tales and sometimes posed as ‘Lusty Luks’, an ex-boxer. His work was uneven and unpredictable. It had vigour and spontaneity but often lapsed into superficial vitality. One of his best-known works is
The Wrestlers
(Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, 1905), which shows his preference for earthy themes and admiration for the bravura painterly technique of artists such as
Manet
. Luks taught for several years at the
Art Students League
and also ran his own school.
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