Sailing Boats
Sailing Boats
Signed Print
L S Lowry
£5,000-£9,000Value Indicator
$10,000-$18,000 Value Indicator
$9,000-$17,000 Value Indicator
¥45,000-¥80,000 Value Indicator
€6,000-€11,000 Value Indicator
$50,000-$90,000 Value Indicator
¥970,000-¥1,750,000 Value Indicator
$6,500-$11,500 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: 1975
Size: H 29cm x W 34cm
Signed: Yes
Format: Signed Print
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Auction Results
| Auction Date | Auction House | Location | Hammer Price | Return to Seller | Buyer Paid |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January 2025 | Forum Auctions London | United Kingdom | |||
| November 2024 | Rosebery's Fine Art Auctioneers | United Kingdom | |||
| November 2024 | Thomson Roddick Edinburgh | United Kingdom | |||
| October 2024 | Duke's Auctioneers | United Kingdom | |||
| September 2024 | Bonhams New Bond Street | United Kingdom | |||
| July 2024 | Bonhams New Bond Street | United Kingdom | |||
| June 2024 | Bonhams New Bond Street | United Kingdom |
Meaning & Analysis
Sailing Boats is an example of Lowry’s seaside paintings. His fondness of the subject matter of the sea seems to contrast starkly with his urban obsessions of poverty, smoke and bustle. Still, the air of pessimism was also present in Lowry’s maritime interest:
”I’ve always been fond of the sea. How wonderful it is, yet also how terrible. I often think... what if it suddenly changed its mind and didn't turn the tide — and came straight on? If it didn't stop and came on and on and on and on... That would be the end of it all.”
This sense of dread is indeed evoked by Sailing Boats - with a more swirling, Turneresque sky than his cityscapes, this simple picture carries more of a threat than some of the artist’s better-known urban works. The sublime power of nature is rawer in Lowry’s seascapes. Although his mills and houses are bleak, they are simpler in their composition with a more manageable presence. The repeated shapes created by the sails dwarf the figure in the foreground and all is enveloped in a swirling sky that merges without the sea, horizonless and imposing. An intriguing side-note to this work is that it is the only painting that Lowry’s mother ever praised.
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.
