Name: Crime Lake
Brand: L S Lowry
Rating: 5 (236 reviews)

Track auction value trend

The value of L S Lowry's Crime Lake (signed) is estimated to be worth between £1,900 and £2,850. This lithograph print, created in 1971, has shown consistent value growth, with an average annual growth rate of 5%. Over the past 12 months, the average selling price was £1,750, across 2 sales. In the last five years, the hammer price has ranged from £1,000 in July 2023 to £3,800 in October 2021. Since its first sale in March 2005, this artwork has been sold 26 times at auction. The edition size of this artwork is limited to 500.

Meaning & Analysis

Crime Lake is one of Lowry’s busy lakeside pictures, depicting a joyful crowd and many floating boats around Crime Lake, officially called Crime Bank Reservoir, which at that time was a well-known spot to visit during bank holidays between Droylsden and Failsworth. The lake came to be through a canal construction around 1794 and had been a popular destination with residents of nearby towns since. The word ‘crime’ doesn’t in fact refer to any bad incident, it is merely a local expression meaning field or meadow. This painting is from the year 1942, currently in a private collection.

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.