Laurence Stephen Lowry, R.A. (1887-1976)Seaside Promenade, 1967-68Original lithograph in black with tinted ground on wove paperSigned ‘L.S. Lowry’ lower right and numbered from the edition of 75 lower left in pencilPublished by Ganymed Editions, LondonPrinted from the stone by J.E. Wolfensberger AG, ZurichSize:18 1/2 x 24 in. (61 x 47.5 cm.) (Please enquire for availability) Whilst Lowry is perhaps best-known for his industrial cityscapes and depictions of the working-class North of England, he also produced a number of seascapes over the course of his career. These works vary remarkably in content and feeling, from more lively scenes such as July, the Seaside (1943), to ominously bare paintings such as Seascape (1952). Although inhabited by promenade-goers, the present work edges towards the latter in mood, with the focus upon the dark silhouettes of the ships and the brooding ocean. Lowry often spoke of his affinity for the sea and ships, once remarking: “It's the Battle of Life - the turbulence of the sea - and life's pretty turbulent, isn't it? I am very fond of the sea, of course, I have been fond of the sea all my life: how wonderful it is, yet how terrible it is. But I often think... what if it suddenly changed its mind and didn’t turn the tide? And came straight on?... That would be the end of it all” Lowry’s mixed feelings, which swing from awe to fatalism, come through in the present work: individuals stand upon the promenade in the foreground, looking out over a restful sea, yet in the multiplicity of black streaks, there is a sense of impending change, as if in a flash the water might stir and ‘change its mind’.Lowry’s original lithographs, of which the present work is an example of, were all purpose drawn and do not exist in any other form. Because of the exceptionally hands-on process needed to create these lithographs, Lowry’s works of this kind are considered to be ‘original’ prints, as no two lithographs are identical. Impressions of Seaside Promenade can be found in the Tate Collection, London, and Victoria & Albert Museum, London.
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