LAURENCE STEPHEN LOWRY, R.A. | Children on the Beach

Crane Kalman Gallery, London, where acquired by Private Collection, July 1978
G. Fabian Esq, by 1986, from whom acquired by the present owner, circa 1998-99

The original panel has been split and this portion of the panel has been laid down on to another supportive board. The original panel is slightly rounded at the extreme corners, and has some minor nicks and chips to the extreme edges in places where there are some minor flecks of loss. There is a horizontal crack running from the right hand edge in line with the rightmost figure's head, to the centre of the board, this appears to be stable. There are a small number of further cracks to the edges of the board. There is some flattening to some of the impasto. There is some minor frame abrasion to the edges of the board. There is surface dirt throughout and the work would benefit from a clean. This excepting the work appears to be in good overall condition. Inspection under ultra violet light reveals a pattern of extremely sensitively executed match head sized areas of retouching. The work is held within a carved 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."

'My mood … is over the people in all my scenes. I could not, I did not want to, paint them as they appear. The truth is that I was not painting them. I have been called a painter of the Manchester workpeople. But my figures are not exactly that. They are ghostly figures which tenant these courts and lane- ways which seems to me so beautiful, they are symbols of my mood, they are myself' (L. S. Lowry, quoted in Edwin Mullins, 'My Lonely Life', Sunday Telegraph, 20th November 1966)