LS Lowry on a Twenty
LS Lowry’s in the running to be the face on the new £20 banknote.
The Bank of England is seeking nominations for the face that should grace the next £20 note and wants the public to choose a visual artist to celebrate Britain’s talent in this field.
LS Lowry, who lived and worked in Salford, is said to be the front-runner and now his ‘home’ city is being urged to get behind him and secure his place on the note. The ‘winner’ will be chosen not by the number of votes they receive but by the strength of the reasons for using them so people are being asked to give a compelling reason as to why LS Lowry should be chosen.
City Mayor Ian Stewart said: “LS Lowry painted everyday life in Pendlebury and Salford at a time when no-one else was depicting northern, industrial scenes and people.
“He pioneered a new and unique style, capturing the essence of an industrial world which was disappearing even as he painted it and his work and his style are now loved and recognised around the world.
“Few working class artists have ever achieved the recognition he did and while Lowry never sought fame in his lifetime he wanted his art, his city and his people to be seen and appreciated. He was a very humble man who turned down many honours, including a knighthood, but this would be our way of recognising his genius and saying thank you to him.
“I’d urge everyone in Salford to nominate for Lowry to demonstrate the significance of his work. I think putting him on the £20 note would honour his life’s work and his talent and bring awareness to a whole new audience.”
Julia Fawcett OBE, chief executive of The Lowry, said: “As the home of the world’s largest public collection of his work, we are proud to promote L S Lowry as an artist of international stature.
“Although he is best known for his mill scenes and industrial landscapes, Lowry’s work covers a wide range of themes and subjects, from seascapes to portraits.
“The permanent exhibition of his work here is incredibly popular and we are not at all surprised that that popularity is shining through in the current Bank of England nomination process.”
The Lowry’s permanent exhibition of LS Lowry work will re-launch on Sat 13 June. LS Lowry: The Art & The Artist will feature new works on display including a rare painting of The Liver Buildings in Liverpool (The Liver Building, Liverpool 1959) as well as Sea Trials at South Shields (1963), Newspaper Seller (1942) and The Lake (1971).
Nominations for the new face of the £20 note close on July 19 and can be made through the Bank of England website – http://ow.ly/Nvgep