plate no. 1690

Industrial Landscape

L. S. Lowry, 1955

oilNaïve Art (Primitivism)cityscapecityscapebuildingsfactorieschimneysskyfigures

From the record

Dimensions: 152.4 cm high × 114.3 cm wide
Institution: Tate
Location: Tate
Inception: 1955
Materials: oil paint, canvas

Wikipedia article Wikidata item Q28549320

from the sources

Lowry's 1955 Industrial Landscape is an oil on canvas measuring 144 by 152 cm. en.wikipedia.org
“The 1955 oil on canvas measures 144 by 152 cm (57 by 60 in) and is signed in the bottom-right corner "L.S.LOWRY 1955".”
The 1955 painting was bought from Lowry by the Chantrey Bequest trustees and presented to the Tate Gallery in 1956. en.wikipedia.org
“Industrial Landscape (1955) was purchased from Lowry by the Trustees of the Chantrey Bequest and presented to the Tate Gallery in 1956.”
The 1955 painting shows a panoramic cityscape of factories, smoking chimneys, roads, bridges and industrial wasteland. en.wikipedia.org
“Lowry's 1955 painting of the same title similarly presents a panoramic cityscape dotted with factories, tall smoking chimneys, roads, bridges and industrial wasteland.”
The setting of the 1955 painting is a composite townscape assembled from various elements of an industrial city. en.wikipedia.org
“The setting is one of Lowrys' "composite townscapes", made up from a variety of elements from an industrial city.”
Lowry wrote in October 1956 that the picture depicts no particular place and that he began it without knowing what scene would result. en.wikipedia.org
“The picture is of no particular place. When I started it on the plain canvas I hadn't the slightest idea as to what sort of Industrial Scene would result.”
The Stockport Viaduct appears on the left of the 1955 canvas, with a small train crossing it. en.wikipedia.org
“Certain elements in the picture may be identified as real locations, such as the Stockport Viaduct, a frequent motif in Lowry's work, which stretches across the distance on the left of the canvas, with a small train crossing over.”
The 1955 painting has been described as a dreamscape of the industrial grime that haunted Lowry's imagination. en.wikipedia.org
“The 1955 painting has been described as a "dreamscape", an accomplished composition of elements of the industrial "apocalypse of grime" that haunted Lowry's imagination.”

study guide

est. 8 hrs

approach — 8 steps

step 01
Lightly sketch the basic shapes and layout of the buildings, chimneys, and other structures, focusing on the overall composition.
step 02
Establish the horizon line and the basic divisions of the landscape.
step 03
Block in the sky with a light gray or off-white, blending it slightly darker towards the top.
step 04
Begin to fill in the larger shapes of the buildings and ground with muted colors, paying attention to the relative values.
step 05
Add details to the buildings, such as windows and doors, using a smaller brush.
step 06
Paint the chimneys and smoke, using thin washes of gray and white to create a hazy effect.
step 07
Add the figures in the foreground, simplifying them into basic shapes.
step 08
Refine the details and add any final touches, such as highlights and shadows.

color palette

primary · titanium white · ivory black · burnt sienna

secondary · yellow ochre · ultramarine blue

Mix various shades of gray by combining white and black. Add small amounts of burnt sienna or yellow ochre to warm the grays. Use ultramarine blue to cool the grays.

techniques