Laurence Stephen Lowry (November 1, 1887–February 23, 1976) was an English artist born in Barratt Street, Stretford, near the city of Manchester. Many of his drawings and paintings depict Salford and surrounding areas, including Pendlebury where he lived and worked for well over thirty years.
Lowry is famous for painting scenes of life in the industrial districts of northern England during the early 20th century. He had a distinctive style of painting and is best known for urban landscapes peopled with many human figures ('matchstick men'). He tended to paint these in drab colours. He also painted mysterious unpopulated landscapes, brooding portraits, and the secret 'marionette' works (the latter only found after his death).
Because of his use of stylised figures and the lack of weather effects in many of his landscapes he is sometimes characterised as a naïve 'Sunday painter' although this is not the position of the galleries that have organised retrospective of his works.
A large collection of Lowry's work is on permanent public display in a purpose built dedicated art gallery on Salford Quays, appropriately named, The Lowry.