Laurence Stephen Lowry, R.A.

Acquired by the present owner in the late 1960s

The work is on wove paper which appears to have been laid down. The edges are slightly uneven and there are two old losses to the edges of the sheet, one in the upper left and one in the lower left corner. There is a small mark of surface matter in the lower right quadrant and the surface of the sheet appears slightly dirty. Held under glass and presented within a grey mount in a simple frame. Please telephone the department on 020 7293 5381 if you have any questions regarding the present work.
"In response to your inquiry, we are pleased to provide you with a general report of the condition of the property described above. Since we are not professional conservators or restorers, we urge you to consult with a restorer or conservator of your choice who will be better able to provide a detailed, professional report. Prospective buyers should inspect each lot to satisfy themselves as to condition and must understand that any statement made by Sotheby's is merely a subjective, qualified opinion. Prospective buyers should also refer to any Important Notices regarding this sale, which are printed in the Sale Catalogue.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF BUSINESS PRINTED IN THE SALE CATALOGUE."

The present drawing relates to Lowry's oil painting, Old Property (1943, Private Collection, England, illustrated in L.S. Lowry, Richard Green Gallery, London, April 1996, cat. no.1) . It is interesting to compare the drawing with the oil to see how Lowry's compositional process works. An on the spot sketch then becomes a drawing like the present work, which is then later used in a fully worked up oil painting, where Lowry uses the original setting but presents different groupings of people and a different subject matter.