By: L S Lowry (1887 – 1976)
Created: 1953, Collection: The Lowry Collection, Salford , Salford, Manchester, UK Rights: CC-BY-SA
You don't need a sombre ocassion to capture a grey scene in the UK!
In 1957 the News Chronicle described The Funeral Party as ‘a painting with all the love and compassion drained away.’ Lowry himself entertained listeners with his explanation that the man on the right is being treated as an outcast for coming to the funeral in boots and a red tie. The initial idea for the painting seems to have come from Lowry’s fascination with Pirandello’s play Six Characters in Search of an Author which he saw several times. The characters arrive on stage dressed in mourning.
Lowry is famous for painting scenes of life in the industrial districts of North West England in the mid-20th century. He developed a distinctive style of painting and is best known for his urban landscapes peopled with human figures often referred to as “matchstick men”. He painted mysterious unpopulated landscapes, brooding portraits and the unpublished “marionette” works, which were only found after his death.
Lowry rejected five honours during his life, including a knighthood in 1968, and consequently holds the record for the most rejected British honours.
Source: Wikipedia and The Lowry Collection.