Portrait of Ann

According to Lowry this work was the first portrait he had painted in nearly thirty years. Lowry described the sitter as aged 25, from Leeds and ‘the daughter of some people who have been very good to me.’ He also described her as his godchild Ann Hilder (or Helder). Despite extensive research, no one has yet been able to confirm the identity of Ann. It is possible she was an imaginary figure based on the young friends he knew, although those who heard him speak of her never doubted her existence.