Harold Riley (artist)
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Born 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. As a student he became a good friend of fellow Salfordian L. S. Lowry. 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 many rich and famous people including popes, presidents and royalty including Nelson Mandela and Pope John Paul II. His sporting works include golf (Henry Cotton, Jack Nicklaus, Tiger Woods) and football (George Best, Sir Matt Busby, Bryan Robson).
He has been awarded honorary doctorates by the universities of Salford, Manchester, London and Florence.
The Salford City Council have funded an archive and studio for Riley in a conservation area around the old Fire Station where he continues to work.
