Harold Riley DL, DLitt, FRCS, DFA, ATC (1934-2023) and Laurence Stephen Lowry RBA, RA (1887-1976)
Crowther Street Stockport
Signed by Harold Riley and L S Lowry, with an oil sketch of a young man to the reverse, oil on canvas, 49cm by 39cm

Provenance: A gift from the artist to the vendor's father
Thence by descent

Harold Riley and Lowry often embarked on joint ventures together over their thirty-year friendship, having first met in 1945 when the former presented Riley with an award for first prize at a Salford Grammar School art exhibition. However, these were usually works on paper, thus making this fully finished oil painting a rarity.

This scene depicts Crowther Street in Stockport, a landmark re visited by Lowry throughout his lifetime.

Tennant’s Modern & Contemporary Art sale in March 2023 saw the sale of a pencil drawing by Lowry titled “The Stepped Street”, this was a depiction of Crowther Street and sold for £70,000 hammer. (see image).

Shortly after leaving Art School in 1928, Lowry sought to record locally threatened architectural gems such as Crowther Street, which was later partially demolished leaving only the right-hand portion. This also indulged his love of steps as subject matter.

Though somewhat changed since the artist’s day and with far fewer people than in Riley’s view, the cobbled street is still recognisable to this day.