Mean line for painter of matchstick men (5)
I believe the answer is:
lowry
'painter of matchstick men' is the definition.
'Lowry' can be an answer for 'painter' (LS Lowry, 1887-1976). I'm not sure about the 'of matchstick men' bit.
'mean line' is the wordplay.
'mean' becomes 'low' (both can mean nasty or dishonourable).
'line' becomes 'ry' (abbreviation for railway).
'low'+'ry'='LOWRY'
'for' acts as a link.
Can you help me to learn more?
(Other definitions for lowry that I've seen before include "'English painter, famous for his stick people (5)'" , "He painted" , "Painter of bleak scenes" , "L. S. -, English artist" , "L. S. --, English painter" .)