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Harold RileyBorn in Salford in 1934,
Harold Riley sold his first painting to the City Art Gallery when he was
11. At 17, he won a scholarship to the Slade and went on to study in
Florence and Spain before returning to Salford, where he has lived ever
since. He has been awarded honorary doctorates by the universities of
Salford, Manchester, London and Florence. His deep affection for his
home town cemented a friendship with L S Lowry which began when Riley
was a student. Together they worked on a project to record the area and
its people, a project which Riley continued until the end of the
twentieth century. Alongside this portrayal of
ordinary working lives, Riley developed his reputation as a portraitist
of the rich and famous. He has painted popes, American presidents and
royalty. His sporting works, particularly golf and football, are also
very sought after. Thanks to Salford City
Council, an archive and studio have been created for Riley in a
conservation area around the old Fire Station. Here he will continue to
work and here his drawings, paintings and photographs of the city will
be housed, as well as his extensive collection of sports studies.
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