Britain At Play
Britain At Play
Signed Print
L S Lowry
£4,500-£6,500
$8,500-$12,500 Value Indicator
$7,500-$11,000 Value Indicator
¥40,000-¥60,000 Value Indicator
€5,500-€7,500 Value Indicator
$45,000-$60,000 Value Indicator
¥860,000-¥1,240,000 Value Indicator
$5,500-$8,000 Value Indicator
AAGR (5 years) This estimate blends recent public auction records with our own private sale data and network demand.
There aren't enough data points on this work for a comprehensive result. Please speak to a specialist by making an enquiry.
Medium: Lithograph
Edition size: 850
Year: 1976
Size: H 45cm x W 60cm
Signed: Yes
Format: Signed Print
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Auction Results
| Auction Date | Auction House | Artwork | Hammer Price | Return to Seller | Buyer Paid |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| December 2023 | Bonhams Knightsbridge - United Kingdom | Britain At Play - Signed Print | |||
| December 2023 | Sworders - United Kingdom | Britain At Play - Signed Print | |||
| October 2023 | Cheffins - United Kingdom | Britain At Play - Signed Print | |||
| June 2023 | Chiswick Auctions - United Kingdom | Britain At Play - Signed Print | |||
| June 2023 | Wilson55 - United Kingdom | Britain At Play - Signed Print | |||
| June 2023 | Woolley & Wallis - United Kingdom | Britain At Play - Signed Print | |||
| June 2023 | Bonhams New Bond Street - United Kingdom | Britain At Play - Signed Print |
Meaning & Analysis
Painted when Britain was at war, Britain At Play is a typical scene by L. S. Lowry from 1943, showing crowds of people on their day off at Angel Fields park in Manchester. In the foreground are some terraced houses depicted in yellow ochre and outlined in black, with Lowry’s ‘matchstick-men’ wandering along the street. As the composition moves backwards, we see hundreds of figures in the park space and the scene fades out onto the industrial landscape behind.
Though claiming to depict a real place through the language of stylised realism, Lowry’s Britain At Play is a composite image created from memory.The top of the composition shows Lowry’s famed depictions of the industrial smokestacks and factories. Notably, there seems to be no distinction between the natural and the industrial as we see the smoke from the mills fade into the sky and clouds. Lowry’s figures therefore become naturalised within the industrial environment.
Teeming with tiny figures across the entire canvas, this vibrant print is a classic example of Lowry depicting city crowds on holiday. Much like many of his urban landscapes, Britain At Play is a celebration of the northern industrial working class experience.
