- 17
LAURENCE STEPHEN LOWRY, R.A. | Figures Beside a Harbour
Estimate
50,000 - 70,000 GBP
bidding is closed
Description
- Laurence Stephen Lowry
- Figures Beside a Harbour
- signed and dated 1961
- pencil and pen and ink on paper
- 25 by 36cm.; 10 by 14in.
Provenance
The Gadsby Gallery, Leicester, where acquired by the family of the previous owner in 1973
Their sale, Bonhams London, 18th March 2009, lot 5, where acquired by the present owner
Their sale, Bonhams London, 18th March 2009, lot 5, where acquired by the present owner
Condition
The sheet has been fully laid down onto a conservation sheet, which is, in turn, affixed to the mount with tabs of adhesive tape at each corner. The sheet undulates slightly but otherwise appears sound. There is one very faint and historic vertical crease towards the upper left quadrant and what appears to be a very faint vertical scratch to the same area. There are some horizontal scratches that are inherent to the piece and in line with the Artist's working methods. There is some possible very faint and historic staining or smudging at the extreme upper left corner, largely not visible in the present mount. There are one or two instances of studio detritus and some possible light surface dust in places. The ink may have possibly faded over time. This excepting, the work appears in excellent overall condition. The work is window mounted and held behind glass in a painted wooden frame. Please telephone the department on +44 (0) 207 293 6424 if you have any questions regarding the present work.
"In response to your inquiry, we are pleased to provide you with a general report of the condition of the property described above. Since we are not professional conservators or restorers, we urge you to consult with a restorer or conservator of your choice who will be better able to provide a detailed, professional report. Prospective buyers should inspect each lot to satisfy themselves as to condition and must understand that any statement made by Sotheby's is merely a subjective, qualified opinion. Prospective buyers should also refer to any Important Notices regarding this sale, which are printed in the Sale Catalogue.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF BUSINESS PRINTED IN THE SALE CATALOGUE."
"In response to your inquiry, we are pleased to provide you with a general report of the condition of the property described above. Since we are not professional conservators or restorers, we urge you to consult with a restorer or conservator of your choice who will be better able to provide a detailed, professional report. Prospective buyers should inspect each lot to satisfy themselves as to condition and must understand that any statement made by Sotheby's is merely a subjective, qualified opinion. Prospective buyers should also refer to any Important Notices regarding this sale, which are printed in the Sale Catalogue.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF BUSINESS PRINTED IN THE SALE CATALOGUE."
Catalogue Note
‘The sea, well I like the sea for its own sake. I’m very fond of the sea … oh yes. I’m very fond of the sea…’
(L.S. Lowry, quoted in T.G. Rosenthal, L.S. Lowry, The Art and the Artist, Unicorn Press, Norwich, 2010, p.207.)
By the 1960s Lowry was already an artist of great acclaim, with his work sought out by prominent public and private collectors across the country. Famed for his factory scenes, with smoking chimneys, tall, looming buildings and waves of crowds pouring in and out of work, he had, since the 1930s, also explored through his paintings and drawings his fascination with the sea. The coast – as well as land-locked lakes – had proved a rich source of inspiration for the artist from his early years, and would continue to do so for much of his later life. From holidays as a child, visiting the seaside town of Lytham St Annes with his mother, he had been drawn to depicting the water and the relative challenges that this task posed, together with the often-great compositional benefits. Whilst one can trace a clear distinction between his ‘seaside scenes’ of children and holidaymakers on yellow sands, and the eerily empty, almost abstracted seascapes, perhaps his most interesting depictions of the sea arrive when they are matched with architectural landscapes, as seen in Figures Beside a Harbour. The work, which displays Lowry’s great skill and understanding as a draughtsman, most probably depicts a small-scale seaside town, owing to the size and number of the buildings, and their relative low-rise scale. The scene is abuzz with activity. In the harbour sits a larger vessel – possibly a barge or fishing boat, and two smaller dinghies or row boats, one of which is being inspected by a group of figures on the shore. On the far left we see the bow of another boat, moored in the harbour.
During his life Lowry travelled the length of Britain and took particular interest in the coastal towns and cities, and their often-transient inhabitants. He is known to have depicted many of these in his paintings and drawings – including cities such as Glasgow, Liverpool, Southampton and Sunderland – but also smaller towns such as Rhyl in North Wales and Maryport in Cumbria. These locations allowed Lowry to marry together his ‘industrial’ scenes with his love of capturing water, and the movement of the waves. In Figures Beside a Harbour, executed in 1961, there is a Sunday-sort-of-feeling with the rhythm of the movement across the composition. It is not hurried or rushed, and instead exudes a sense of peaceful calm, reflected by the low, flat ripples of the water. As with all great drawings by the artist, the scene is rich with dramatic narrative in the small cameos of crowds appearing across the composition. Couples are embracing, families walking their dogs and children larking about on the sands. Whilst a single smoking chimney is visible on the far right, here Lowry presents us with a more relaxed, rural setting – one that the artist clearly took great pleasure in capturing on the page.
(L.S. Lowry, quoted in T.G. Rosenthal, L.S. Lowry, The Art and the Artist, Unicorn Press, Norwich, 2010, p.207.)
By the 1960s Lowry was already an artist of great acclaim, with his work sought out by prominent public and private collectors across the country. Famed for his factory scenes, with smoking chimneys, tall, looming buildings and waves of crowds pouring in and out of work, he had, since the 1930s, also explored through his paintings and drawings his fascination with the sea. The coast – as well as land-locked lakes – had proved a rich source of inspiration for the artist from his early years, and would continue to do so for much of his later life. From holidays as a child, visiting the seaside town of Lytham St Annes with his mother, he had been drawn to depicting the water and the relative challenges that this task posed, together with the often-great compositional benefits. Whilst one can trace a clear distinction between his ‘seaside scenes’ of children and holidaymakers on yellow sands, and the eerily empty, almost abstracted seascapes, perhaps his most interesting depictions of the sea arrive when they are matched with architectural landscapes, as seen in Figures Beside a Harbour. The work, which displays Lowry’s great skill and understanding as a draughtsman, most probably depicts a small-scale seaside town, owing to the size and number of the buildings, and their relative low-rise scale. The scene is abuzz with activity. In the harbour sits a larger vessel – possibly a barge or fishing boat, and two smaller dinghies or row boats, one of which is being inspected by a group of figures on the shore. On the far left we see the bow of another boat, moored in the harbour.
During his life Lowry travelled the length of Britain and took particular interest in the coastal towns and cities, and their often-transient inhabitants. He is known to have depicted many of these in his paintings and drawings – including cities such as Glasgow, Liverpool, Southampton and Sunderland – but also smaller towns such as Rhyl in North Wales and Maryport in Cumbria. These locations allowed Lowry to marry together his ‘industrial’ scenes with his love of capturing water, and the movement of the waves. In Figures Beside a Harbour, executed in 1961, there is a Sunday-sort-of-feeling with the rhythm of the movement across the composition. It is not hurried or rushed, and instead exudes a sense of peaceful calm, reflected by the low, flat ripples of the water. As with all great drawings by the artist, the scene is rich with dramatic narrative in the small cameos of crowds appearing across the composition. Couples are embracing, families walking their dogs and children larking about on the sands. Whilst a single smoking chimney is visible on the far right, here Lowry presents us with a more relaxed, rural setting – one that the artist clearly took great pleasure in capturing on the page.