Tom Dodson 'Lancashire's Favourite Artist'
Born in Salford in 1910, Tom Dodson was the eldest of five children born into a working-class family. Although he showed early promise as an artist, he left school at 14 to earn his living the grocery trade and never formally worked as an artist. After retirement he found more time to paint, and created realistic images of his working-class childhood; as he had no formal training or commercial necessity to paint in a certain way, his style was all his own, and he brought a sense of simplicity and energy to his subject matter. Affectionately known as ‘Lancashire’s favourite artist’, he was recognised locally as a generous man with a mischievous sense of humour. He died in 1991.
Although Tom Dodson only found commercial success late in life, his paintings are very popular for their realistic depiction of everyday life in the 1920s and 30s, and his first exhibition sold out within hours. His reputation and popularity have continued to rise, and today there’s a ready market for his paintings and original sketches.
As with all artwork, the value of Tom Dodson’s paintings varies a little according to the provenance, size and subject matter. He typically painted working-class life such as classroom scenes, church, backyards and terraced streets, which are valued both for the vitality of their execution and as social commentary. Additional personal touches such as letters from the artist all add value.
At Wilson55, our in-house expert Stephen Sparrow has years of experience in assessing and valuing Tom Dodson’s work, so do get in touch if you’d like to learn more about a piece you own or discuss a potential sale or valuation.
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