British artist famous for his industrial landscapes and 'matchstick men'

L S Lowry, the great British artist famous for his stylised depictions of industrial scenes, died on 23 February, 1976, aged 88.

In his lifetime, Lowry was regarded as one of the most important artists of his generation. His paintings documented the changing urban landscape of northern England .

His career lasted nearly seven decades, during which time he produced around 1,000 paintings and over 800 drawings.

He remains one of the most important British painters of the twentieth century. His work continues to provide great historical insight into industrialised Britain .

Lawrence Stephen Lowry was born on 1 November, 1887, in Manchester , where he remained for the rest of his life. The city, particularly the Salford area, was a source of inspiration throughout his career.

He began painting at the age of 15 and attended both the Manchester Academy of Fine Art and Salford Royal Technical College . He worked as a rent-collector for the Pall Mall Property Company, alongside his career as an artist, until his retirement in 1952.

Although the company supported his artistic career, he kept this job a secret in order to be seen as a serious artist. Irritated by accusations that he was a ‘Sunday painter’, Lowry argued: “Then I'm a Sunday painter who paints every day of the week!"

He developed a distinctive style of painting characterized by simplified lines and dark colours. His urban scenes were always populated by lots of busy figures referred to as his ‘matchstick men’.

He worked prolifically, recording the changing landscape of the Blitz, slum clearing and subsequent re-building of the city. He quickly caught the attention of critics and was soon recognised as a major British artist.

During the Second World War he was appointed as a war artist. He was the official painter for Elizabeth II’s coronation in 1953. In 1964 Prime Minister Harold Wilson used one of Lowry’s paintings for his official Christmas card.

He never married, remaining a devoted carer to his mother. He would paint between 10pm and 2am, after she had gone to bed. He once said: "Had I not been lonely none of my works would have happened".

He died of pneumonia in 1976, just before a major retrospective of his work opened at the Royal Academy . He left his entire estate to a budding artist, whose family he had befriended when she was just thirteen.

He was offered an OBE in 1955, a knighthood in 1968 and twice offered a place as a Companion of Honour – all of which he declined. He holds the record for the most honours refused.

In 1965, he was given freedom of the City of Salford , his major subject throughout his 70 years as an artist. The City of Salford now owns 350 of Lowry’s works, most of which are displayed at the Lowry Centre.

He has been immortalized in literature and music. A ballet, called ‘The Simple Man’, was commissioned to mark the centenary of his birth. It starred Moira Shearer in her final stage role and won a Bafta.

Lowry’s work is often characterised by a sense of detachment from the bustling scene. Sheila Fell, to whom Lowry was a friend and mentor, said: "He was a great humanist. To be a humanist, one has first to love human beings, and to be a great humanist, one has to be slightly detached from them."