The Fever Van
POA
Laurence Stephen Lowry, R.A. (1887-1976)
Fever Van, 1972
Offset lithograph on wove paper, after the original oil painting from 1935 of the same title (Collection: Walker Art Gallery, Liverpool).
Signed ‘L.S. ... Read More
Product Variations
The Fever Van
POA
Laurence Stephen Lowry, R.A. (1887-1976)
Fever Van, 1972
Offset lithograph on wove paper, after the original oil painting from 1935 of the same title (Collection: Walker Art Gallery, Liverpool).
Signed ‘L.S. Lowry’ lower right and numbered from the edition of 700
Stamped by the Fine Art Trade Guild
Published by Mainstone Print Publications
Size: 16½ x 21½ in. (42 x 54.5 cm.)
(Please enquire for availability)
A ‘fever van’ was the colloquial term in the north of England for a specific ambulance that transported patients with infectious diseases to hospital. Fever vans were particularly common from around 1910 to the 1950s, when scarlet fever and diphtheria were prevalent throughout the UK. The principal treatment was isolation, and patients were removed from their homes and placed in special fever hospitals for up to six weeks.
In the present work – described by L.S. Lowry historian T.G. Rosenthal as “one of Lowry’s most typical and most important paintings” – we see an urban street scene abound with typical Lowry motifs, such as the terraced houses, smoking chimney and church spire. In the centre of the composition, Lowry depicts the back of the fever van with a crowd congregating around its open doors. The presence of the mill chimney perhaps offers a subtle indication to cause of the illness: the overcrowded living conditions of the mill workers. Although he captures the local interest in the scene, with figures walking past turning their heads and families emerging from their houses to look on inquisitively, he has treated the subject avoiding excessive sentimentality.
In his own words, “Accidents interest me—I have a very queer mind you know. What fascinates me is the people they attract. The patterns those people form, an atmosphere of tension when something's happened.... Where there's a quarrel there's always a crowd.... It's a great draw. A quarrel or a body.” The crowding of the fever van is exemplary of Lowry’s interest in everyday incidents. Employing clever perspectival techniques, the composition draws the viewer in, becoming one with the onlookers, fascinated with the commotion by the van.
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Laurence Stephen Lowry, R.A. (1887-1976)
Fever Van, 1972
Offset lithograph on wove paper, after the original oil painting from 1935 of the same title (Collection: Walker Art Gallery, Liverpool).
Signed ‘L.S. Lowry’ lower right and numbered from the edition of 700
Stamped by the Fine Art Trade Guild
Published by Mainstone Print Publications
Size: 16½ x 21½ in. (42 x 54.5 cm.)
(Please enquire for availability)
A ‘fever van’ was the colloquial term in the north of England for a specific ambulance that transported patients with infectious diseases to hospital. Fever vans were particularly common from around 1910 to the 1950s, when scarlet fever and diphtheria were prevalent throughout the UK. The principal treatment was isolation, and patients were removed from their homes and placed in special fever hospitals for up to six weeks.
In the present work – described by L.S. Lowry historian T.G. Rosenthal as “one of Lowry’s most typical and most important paintings” – we see an urban street scene abound with typical Lowry motifs, such as the terraced houses, smoking chimney and church spire. In the centre of the composition, Lowry depicts the back of the fever van with a crowd congregating around its open doors. The presence of the mill chimney perhaps offers a subtle indication to cause of the illness: the overcrowded living conditions of the mill workers. Although he captures the local interest in the scene, with figures walking past turning their heads and families emerging from their houses to look on inquisitively, he has treated the subject avoiding excessive sentimentality.
In his own words, “Accidents interest me—I have a very queer mind you know. What fascinates me is the people they attract. The patterns those people form, an atmosphere of tension when something's happened.... Where there's a quarrel there's always a crowd.... It's a great draw. A quarrel or a body.” The crowding of the fever van is exemplary of Lowry’s interest in everyday incidents. Employing clever perspectival techniques, the composition draws the viewer in, becoming one with the onlookers, fascinated with the commotion by the van.
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Pay Monthly
You can secure a piece of art from £425 with a payback term of between 5 to 20 months interest free.*
0% Interest Free Credit
Spread the cost over up to 20 months with absolutely no interest to pay across all artworks.
Pay in 3 installments with Klarna.
Pay a low deposit, then between 3 to 12 months interest free.*