Laurence Stephen Lowry RA, RBA (1887-1976)

Study for 'The Beach at Roker'; the reverse with a further sketch
twice signed and dated 'LS Lowry 1960' (lower left and lower right)
ink
17.5 x 25.5cm

Provenance:
Sale; Dreweatts, 20 June, 2013, lot 24

Lowry first visited Roker Beach in Sunderland in 1960. Staying exclusively in the same first-floor room at the Seaburn Hotel, the seaside resort would become a recurring subject in his work until his death in 1976. Lowry was noted to have used the hotel's dining room to sketch from as he gazed out over the North Sea.

Unlike many artists of his era, Lowry was less captivated by the sparkling sands and vibrant blues of the coastline. Instead, he was drawn to the lingering presence of industry in this still-active yet declining port. In this work, gambolling families occupy the foreground, but they are framed by symbols of commerce and labour. Reflecting on the location, in a 1976 interview with the Sunderland Echo, he remarked, “You can sense the industry of Sunderland not far away, even though you can't see it.”

In 2011, an oil depicting the same scene was sold by Christie’s for £301,250.