For all you art lovers....

Chinafoot

We got an email in the library today asking if we could verify the location depicted in a drawing by famous artist L. S. Lowry, currently being sold in Bonhams in London.

Here it is.

catch--22

Interesting....must be a very early Lowry....looks very basic in style!

Where is it China? Do you already know?

Wishbone Ash

Chinafoot wrote:

We got an email in the library today asking if we could verify the location depicted in a drawing by famous artist L. S. Lowry, currently being sold in Bonhams in London.

Here it is.

Nice one Chinafoot!

catch--22 wrote:

Where is it China? Do you already know?

I presume you're taking the píss catch--22! :eek:

Chinafoot

The front on view is the railway station in Balbriggan. To the right is the old Smyth and Co Hosiery factory. The building now is used for many different shops like a hairdressers and a photo shop.

It's actually very late Lowry. 1970. He died in 1976 as far as I know.

Interesting to see the price it's expected to go for.

Wishbone Ash

Chinafoot wrote:

It's actually very late Lowry. 1970. He died in 1976 as far as I know

Was SmythCo still going in 1970?

Chinafoot

Yeah, I think it didn't close til the 80's. Not 100% sure though.

catch--22

Wishbone Ash wrote:

I presume you're taking the píss catch--22! :eek:

Sadly not...excuse my ignorance! Balbriggan would have been my origional guess!

spooydermot

I remember that bridge/tunnel thing from when I was a kid. It's always amused me that there is now one on the next street down for the apartments.
Anyone know if that was a coincidence or planned?

Chinafoot

The picture ended up going for over €67,000.

Wishbone Ash

Chinafoot wrote:

The picture ended up going for over €67,000.

Purchased by Balbriggan man Seamus Murphy (Murphy Quarries).

Bluetonic

Wishbone Ash wrote:

Purchased by Balbriggan man Seamus Murphy (Murphy Quarries).

*ahem* Murphy Environmental these days, more filling up of the quarries these days!

Wishbone Ash

Bluetonic wrote:

*ahem* Murphy Environmental these days, more filling up of the quarries these days!

Oops! Of course.

Bluetonic

Here's a bit from the man himself.

Lowry's Irish sketch returns
A SUNDAY Independent reader ensured that a rare Irish picture by LS Lowry is returning to Balbriggan, Co Dublin.

The picture, titled Hosiery & Factory, is a sketch of local landmark Smyth & Co. The sketch, which was dashed off in felt tip pen by the artist during a visit to the town in 1970, was bought by property developer Seamus Murphy for for €67,680.

"I am very excited that the picture is coming back to the town, because I have lived here all my life and everyone in Balbriggan has some connection with the Smyth & Co hosiery factory featured in the picture," Mr Murphy said. "My sister Maura alerted me after spotting the story about the picture in last week's Sunday Independent and so I then arranged to bid on the telephone for the picture." Three weeks ago, a Lowry oil painting was sold for €5.5m

Smyth & Co closed in the mid 1980s

Thrill

Chinafoot wrote:

The picture ended up going for over €67,000.

I'm no art expert or anything but that looks an awful lot of money for what looks like a sketch a child could do.

Beauty's in the eye of the beholder I guess.

Wishbone Ash

thrill wrote:

I'm no art expert

Agree!

Chinafoot

Bluetonic wrote:

Smyth & Co closed in the mid 1980s

June 24th 1980 was when they auctioned off what was left of it to the public according to Balbriggan.net.

thrill wrote:

I'm no art expert or anything but that looks an awful lot of money for what looks like a sketch a child could do.

Beauty's in the eye of the beholder I guess.

Ah yes, but you see it's more the fact that it's a Lowry. And very late Lowry too, he died 6 years later.

Great to have it in Balbriggan though. Fair play Mr. Murphy.

sirpsycho

Fair play to Seamus Murphy

blastman

I wonder will it be exhibited somewhere in the town, even temporarily...

Bluetonic

blastman wrote:

I wonder will it be exhibited somewhere in the town, even temporarily...

Yeah Rory will be showing it off in the family home after the Miler on a Sunday night.

blastman

What about the painting, though? *ba-dum, tish*

Bluetonic

blastman wrote:

What about the painting, though? *ba-dum, tish*

ha ha

Anyhow I see in the Fingal that Seamus wants it to go on display in the library for a while.