George Manchester
Town Square, Brittany is a boldly painted, naïve townscape which complements the character of the place. It is a rare example of Manchester’s early work from the 1950s, stylistically relating to the work of Alfred Wallis and L.S. Lowry. The female figure in the right-hand corner is a bigoudène – she wears a traditional lace head dress typical of southwest Brittany. The crucifixion is typical of sculptures found in traditional Brittany town squares. The central figure in the yellow hat is wearing peasant sabots. The dramatic dark sky adds electricity to the composition and the original moulded frame lends vintage character.
George Manchester was a postwar artist who lived and worked in London. He specialised in townscapes, landscapes and English coastal scenes and also worked on large scale murals. He spent periods in France, Spain and Italy. Manchester studied at Beckenham School of Art 1946-50 and the Royal College of Art, London from 1950-53 under John Minton and Ruskin Spear. During his lifetime he exhibited at The Royal Academy, Leicester Galleries, Beaux Arts London, and had a one man show at the Redfern Gallery, London in the 1950s.