Reference Library
Reference Library
Signed Print
L S Lowry
£1,350-£2,050Value Indicator
$2,800-$4,300 Value Indicator
$2,500-$3,850 Value Indicator
¥13,500-¥20,000 Value Indicator
€1,550-€2,400 Value Indicator
$14,500-$22,000 Value Indicator
¥270,000-¥410,000 Value Indicator
$1,850-$2,800 Value Indicator
AAGR (5 years) This estimate blends recent public auction records with our own private sale data and network demand.
There aren't enough data points on this work for a comprehensive result. Please speak to a specialist by making an enquiry.
Medium: Lithograph
Edition size: 850
Year: 1972
Size: H 24cm x W 35cm
Signed: Yes
Format: Signed Print
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Auction Results
| Auction Date | Auction House | Location | Hammer Price | Return to Seller | Buyer Paid |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| December 2024 | Bonhams Knightsbridge | United Kingdom | |||
| June 2024 | Bonhams New Bond Street | United Kingdom | |||
| March 2024 | Wilson55 | United Kingdom | |||
| October 2023 | Dominic Winter Auctioneers | United Kingdom | |||
| August 2022 | Golding, Young & Mawer, The Lincoln Auction Rooms | United Kingdom | |||
| August 2022 | Lyon & Turnbull | London | |||
| August 2022 | Toovey's | United Kingdom |
Meaning & Analysis
Reference Library is a sketch by L. S. Lowry, which has been produced as a lithograph in an edition of 850 and shows an image of the public library in central Manchester. The central focus of the composition is the rotunda building, with crowds of people that wander the streets going about their daily business, filling the foreground of the image.
Like many of Lowry’s sketches, this scene is depicted in a highly realistic style, retaining the most important details of the architecture and keeping the buildings and people to the correct scale. Lowry’s prints like these incorporate much closer detail and elements like shadow on the buildings due to the fact that the medium is limited to a monochrome palette.Initially trained under the Impressionist master, Adolphe Valette, Lowry was interested in recording the nuances of everyday life and would sketch during the day to record his observations of the world around him. During his prolific career, the artist produced over 8,000 drawings.
Lowry’s lithographs like Reference Library are produced by hand whereby a plate is etched and inked, and the paper is then pressed onto the plate to produce an original. Due to this printing process, no two prints are exactly the same and are therefore highly sought after objects.
Born in 1887, L. S. Lowry was a key figure in 20th century British painting. Known for his distinctive painterly style and 'matchstick men', Lowry aimed to put industry on the map by typically focusing on scenes from his hometown in the North West of England. The naivety of his art drew criticism, yet has stood the test of time with the artist becoming a household name. Lowry has consistently performed in the secondary market, with works such as Going To The Match achieving a value of £2,919,000 in 2021 and the editioned prints remaining highly sought after.
