He Never Went to Art School... Now His Paintings Sell For £1 Million
Lincoln Townley was a club promoter before his appetite for drugs and sex took over. Michael Odell finds out what happened next...
ReadBritish Contemporary Artist
LincolnTownley
Colourist · Painter · London / International
LONDON ART FAIRNY ARMORY
PALM BEACH MODERN + CONTEMPORARYVenice Biennale
01 / Shows
International Exhibitions
Lincoln Townley’s figures make manifest the existential turmoil of our own Twenty-First Century moment. Townley combines the horror and distortion of Bacon with the thick and sculptural paint application synonymous with Frank Auerbach’s best portraits of the 1950s.
02 / Biography
A Modern-DayColourist
Lincoln Townley is a contemporary British painter whose work occupies a powerful space between abstraction and figuration, interrogating the psychology of power, ambition, and modern success. Born in 1972, Townley works from his primary studios in Cheshire, England, with dedicated showrooms in Cheshire and Hertfordshire, just outside London. From these bases, he has developed a practice that is both materially rigorous and internationally resonant.
Townley’s paintings are not portraits in the conventional sense. These figures — frequently associated with the archetype of the ‘Banker’ — function as contemporary symbols of authority and financial dominion. They embody the ambition, volatility, and moral ambiguity that define the structures governing twenty-first century life.
LINCOLN TOWNLEY PORTRAIT / STUDIO
01
Authentication
Every Lincoln Townley original is verified and certified by the Estate. A unique record is maintained in the catalogue raisonné — the first edition of which will be published in the 2026 Studio book.
02
Provenance
The Estate maintains a comprehensive ownership history for each work, from studio to sale — ensuring collectors hold complete documentary provenance for every acquisition.
03
Stewardship
Working with authorised dealers, galleries, and institutional collectors to ensure the integrity and appropriate representation of Lincoln's entire body of work — past and present. The estate stores works in secure storage on behalf of collectors.
04 / Publication
Banker Collection Catalogue
Third Edition - LTSG Publishing
The definitive record of Lincoln Townley's oil paintings - every work curated for his international shows, accompanied by critical essays, studio photography, and coverage of his major collections. A seminal publication for one of Britain's most compelling contemporary painters.
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05 / Writing
Articles & Press
ArtNet news: In Venice, British Artist Lincoln Townley Unveils New Work on the Perils of Capitalism
In Venice, British Artist Lincoln Townley Unveils New Work on the Perils of Capitalism The exhibition, which has been on view since April, will see a refreshed collection o...
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In Context
The Unsettling Presence of Francis Bacon
Frieze's review of 'Human Presence' explores how Bacon's portraits transcend likeness to become sites of existential confrontation, noting the artist's preference for painting f...
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The Horror and Distortion of Bacon (Sotheby's)
Lincoln Townley’s visceral figurative paintings are fictive portrayals drawn entirely from the artist’s imagination. The influence of Francis Bacon here cannot be denied, and ak...
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