New exhibition of work in Berwick by renowned artist LS Lowry focuses on seascapes

Visitors to Lowry and the Sea will have the opportunity to see 20 of his works, including oil paintings, as well as drawings in pastel, charcoal and pencil, both from public and private collections.

The renowned artist began visiting the North East of England in the 1930s, with his first visit to Berwick around 1935.

He became a regular visitor to the town until his death in 1976, capturing its streets and buildings and views of the North Sea.

Lowry would capture the different vessels that he saw from the shore. In Yachts (1920, The Lowry Collection, Salford), they are dotted about under broken clouds, yet the view retains a calmness.

A relaxed view of the sea continues with people strewn on the beach in Spittal Sands, Berwick (1960, private collection), while Waiting for the Tide (1965, private collection) conveys a ship peacefully floating in the distance.

But the spectre of industrialisation was still never far away. In Tanker (1965, The Lowry Collection, Salford) pollution appears to bleed into the murky green water and dirty sky.

Many of the seascapes would be turned into limited-edition prints and become popular images of Britain’s coastline. Now, visitors to The Granary Gallery will have the opportunity to see up close the original sketches, drawings and paintings by LS Lowry in the place where he found so much inspiration over his decades-long celebrated career.

James Lowther, head of visual arts at The Maltings, said: “We are delighted to present this new exhibition of original works by LS Lowry at The Granary Gallery.

“Lowry had a great affection for Berwick-upon-Tweed, evidenced by the number of works he produced of the town. These works provide a fascinating starting point to explore Lowry’s life-long fascination with the sea and I’m sure the exhibition will of great interest to local people and visitors from further afield.”

Tickets for Lowry and the Sea, which starts on May 25 and runs until October, are £5 – concessions will apply.

They will go on sale on Monday, April 1 and be available from the gallery and at www.maltingsberwick.co.uk