Punch And Judy
Punch And Judy
Signed Print
L S Lowry
£3,600-£5,500Value Indicator
$7,500-$11,500 Value Indicator
$6,500-$10,000 Value Indicator
¥35,000-¥50,000 Value Indicator
€4,150-€6,500 Value Indicator
$40,000-$60,000 Value Indicator
¥720,000-¥1,090,000 Value Indicator
$4,850-$7,500 Value Indicator
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44 x 68cm, Edition of 75, Lithograph
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Meaning & Analysis
Punch And Judy is a typical scene by L. S. Lowry from 1943, showing a mass of people from all walks of life going about their daily business. As with many of the artist’s works, this scene is depicted in simple colours. Lowry often claimed to use just five colours in his paintings, vermillion, ivory black, Prussian blue, yellow ochre and flake white.
As implied by the print’s title, the background of this scene shows crowds of people gathering to watch the traditional British puppet show ‘Punch and Judy’ that features the characters Mr. Punch and his wife Judy. These puppet booths were iconic features of English seaside resorts and working class leisure time, and so this subject is apt for Lowry in his depiction of working people on their days off in town.
The composition is crammed full of people, providing the print with the frenetic energy of city life. Despite the busy, swarm of people that creates a sense of bustle to the image, like many of Lowry’s works there is a solemn and lonely element to this print. The figures, though in close proximity to one another, seem isolated from one another and from the viewer who looks to the bustling crowd from an elevated distance.
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.
