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Crowd Around a Cricket Sight Board (1964-69)
O I L

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SIZED: 30 X 15
DATE: 1964-69
TYPE: OIL

©  ESTATE OF L.S. LOWRY

The artist was always keenly interested in sport. He drew and painted many football scenes. But there is also one intriguing cricket picture

This was originally painted on one canvas, but now exists in two parts (the other part is Lancashire League Cricket Match). The story of this picture was told by Alick Leggat, a long-standing friend of the artist and for many years Honorary Treasurer of the Lancashire County Cricket Club. The picture, now in two pieces, was produced over a lengthy period between 1964 and 1969, Mr Leggat having supplied the artist with details of the field positions.

Lowry, however, was not satisfied with the result and promptly cut the picture in two. The lower and smaller section was partially repainted, and if one puts the two parts together again, making one picture, it is possible to see quite clearly why the artist was not satisfied. Almost none of the figures in the lower section (pictured) are actually looking at the players. They are turned towards the spectator and it appears that, when the artist got involved in this area, he became engrossed in problems of construction that had little, if any, relationship to the game being played in the upper part. On the reverse of this portion of the painting is a pasted statement by the artist which reads:

"This picture of a Crowd around a Cricket Sight Board is the lower portion of a larger canvas measuring originally 30 X 25. Owing to the difficulty of reconciling the two portions, I decided to make two seperate pictures. This is a smaller portion mounted on board and mahogany and I consider it one of my most successful crowd scenes. L.S. Lowry, 29 April 1970."

Source: L.S. Lowry RA, 1887-1976: [catalogue of an exhibition held at the Royal Academy], 4 September to 14 November [1976]

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