Name: Castle By The Sea
Brand: L S Lowry
Rating: 5 (233 reviews)

Track auction value trend

The value of L S Lowry's Castle By The Sea, a signed lithograph from 1969, is estimated to be worth between £1,900 and £2,900. This work has shown consistent value growth, with an average annual growth rate of 4%. Over the past 12 months, there have been 2 sales, with a total of 5 sales since its entry to the market in October 2004. The hammer price over the past five years has ranged from £1,930 in March 2019 to £5,500 in July 2022. The average annual growth rate of this work is 5% and the edition size is limited to 75.

Auction Date

Auction House

Location

Hammer Price

Return to Seller

Buyer Paid

July 2023

Russell Kaplan Auctioneers

South Africa

March 2022

Gorringes

United Kingdom

April 2019

Wilson55

United Kingdom

November 2008

Christie's London

United Kingdom

October 2004

Bonhams Leeds

United Kingdom

Meaning & Analysis

Castle By The Sea is a lithograph from 1969 by L. S. Lowry that shows a monochrome sketch of a seaside landscape with a number of figures enjoying the beach. The sea was a significant source of inspiration for Lowry. During the 1960s, the artist regularly visited the northeast, staying at the Seaburn Hotel in Sunderland in a room from which he could see the North Sea.

Unlike other British artists such as J. M. W. Turner, Lowry’s rural landscapes did not record the effects of light or weather and instead focused on the presence of people and their leisure activities in the landscape. There is very little detail in the sky and the ground is rendered flat by Lowry’s use of line. The artist’s ‘matchstick-men’ stand out against the landscape, appearing like silhouettes as they go about their business.

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. Castle By The Sea is one such study, maintaining a sketchy quality as though executed quickly from life. During his prolific career, the artist produced over 8,000 drawings.

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.