Name: The Beach
Brand: L S Lowry
Rating: 5 (231 reviews)

Track auction value trend

The value of L S Lowry's The Beach (signed) is estimated to be worth between £2,050 and £3,050. This lithograph print, created in 1973, has shown consistent value growth, with an average annual growth rate of 4%. This work has an auction history of 19 total sales since its entry to the market in March 2005. In the past 12 months, the average selling price was £2,075, across 4 sales. Over the last five years, the hammer price has ranged from £800 in September 2021 to £4,100 in May 2021. The average annual growth rate is -7%. The edition size of this artwork is limited to 850.

Auction Date

Auction House

Location

Hammer Price

Return to Seller

Buyer Paid

September 2024

Rosebery's Fine Art Auctioneers

United Kingdom

June 2024

Bonhams New Bond Street

United Kingdom

June 2024

Mellors & Kirk

United Kingdom

December 2023

Wilson55

United Kingdom

April 2023

Duke's Auctioneers

United Kingdom

August 2022

Golding, Young & Mawer, The Lincoln Auction Rooms

United Kingdom

May 2022

Cheffins

United Kingdom

Meaning & Analysis

The sea and seaside were a recurring interest throughout Lowry’s body of work. His interest in the subject matter blossomed at a young age, having spent holidays of his youth at Lytham St. Anne’s and Rhyl. Drawing pictures of the sea as early as 1902, his visual explorations of the subjects varied from vast, sublime scenes of empty sea and sky to busy industrial beaches and colourful sailboats.

The Beach is an example of his works depicting a vibrant seaside scene of the Deal harbour in Kent with the residents of the town take a beach holiday, suggesting an escape from the industrialist scenery and everyday working life, which at the same time is still very much present through visual cues within the mise-en-scène of the painting. This work references an original drawing that Lowry produced in 1912, published under the title ‘Deal’ together with this print. The later painting ‘Deal Sands’ from 1945 is related to this earlier piece, both of which belonged to Mrs T.S. Eliot, the prestigious poet and playwright’s wife, who had accumulated a most impressive and extensive British Art 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.