Waiting For the Shop to Open

Laurence Stephen Lowry 1887 - 1976

Summary

An everyday street scene in front of a greengrocer's 'fish and fruit' shop in war time Britain. A line of customers wait patiently for the shop to open. In the background there is an abstract, industrial scene representing houses and factories with smoking chimneys. During this time of shortages, scenes of waiting in queues were common. The shop number is the same as Lowry's house, representing one of Lowry's gestures of light humour.

Display Label

Waiting for the Shop to Open 1943 Laurence Stephen Lowry (1887-1976) Oil on canvas Lowry was fond of painting crowd scenes and queues, fascinated by how one could be both together and alone. Rationing and queuing outside shops for simple daily provisions became a feature of wartime on the streets. Lowry was never an official war artist but made a number of war-related paintings throughout the Second World War. He also assisted in Manchester’s Auxiliary Fire Service. Lowry’s paintings often reveal his quirky sense of humour. Here he has given the shop the number of his own house. Purchased 1948.269