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Lot Essay
Broadcaster and writer Robert Robinson (1927-2011) worked on a variety of projects for the BBC, including the arts review 'The Look of the Week' (1966) and game shows 'Call My Bluff' and 'Ask the Family' (both 1967 onwards). When working for The Sunday Times in 1962, he interviewed L.S. Lowry in his studio, and wrote an account of their meeting:
'August 6, 1962. Today, this afternoon, I bought this picture from L.S. Lowry. I asked him how much the little ones fetched and he said, "Oh they go very well, about forty pounds each." I asked him to show me the one of the little girl with the red feet which I said looked like my wife in photographs when she was a little girl. He set it up again. "Yes I think I like her, I think I do. Poor little thing, poor little thing," he said. I asked him when it might come on sale. "Oh it probably won't, it probably won't - why, do you like it? What do you want to give me for it?" I said (a bit embarassed) that it was up to him. "Well, they fetch forty." We looked at it again and he went on talking. "Give me thirty for it if you like." I said I didn't want to get it at cut rates, I didn't want to do him. "Wait a bit then, forty with the frame, you'll have to get it framed yourself, forty minus the frame. Give me thirty five then. Is that a fair price?"
Then he said, "Shall I sign it for you?" He dodged about looking for a brush, dipped it into a rather dry bit of black on his palette. "This is the hardest part", he said. He painted the letters, then incised them with a penknife. "I'll put the date on the other side, balance it up a bit, you know. I'll put 1960, it's easier to paint. I think I started it in 1956. Shall I wrap it up, I've got a bit of paper here". He wrapped it up and threw in the biro sketch of the two people - "It's only a note. I find I do these things in the street, I'll throw it in. I'm very pleased you like it".
He said, "Can you see where I've painted over the - " He broke off and it occurred to me he thought I might not like a painting that you could see had been altered. But he went on, "I painted her dress red first but I didn't like it so I painted it over black and the red underneath gives the black a very nice quality. There was a lot of work went into that. Oh yes, all out of my head".
(private correspondence).
'August 6, 1962. Today, this afternoon, I bought this picture from L.S. Lowry. I asked him how much the little ones fetched and he said, "Oh they go very well, about forty pounds each." I asked him to show me the one of the little girl with the red feet which I said looked like my wife in photographs when she was a little girl. He set it up again. "Yes I think I like her, I think I do. Poor little thing, poor little thing," he said. I asked him when it might come on sale. "Oh it probably won't, it probably won't - why, do you like it? What do you want to give me for it?" I said (a bit embarassed) that it was up to him. "Well, they fetch forty." We looked at it again and he went on talking. "Give me thirty for it if you like." I said I didn't want to get it at cut rates, I didn't want to do him. "Wait a bit then, forty with the frame, you'll have to get it framed yourself, forty minus the frame. Give me thirty five then. Is that a fair price?"
Then he said, "Shall I sign it for you?" He dodged about looking for a brush, dipped it into a rather dry bit of black on his palette. "This is the hardest part", he said. He painted the letters, then incised them with a penknife. "I'll put the date on the other side, balance it up a bit, you know. I'll put 1960, it's easier to paint. I think I started it in 1956. Shall I wrap it up, I've got a bit of paper here". He wrapped it up and threw in the biro sketch of the two people - "It's only a note. I find I do these things in the street, I'll throw it in. I'm very pleased you like it".
He said, "Can you see where I've painted over the - " He broke off and it occurred to me he thought I might not like a painting that you could see had been altered. But he went on, "I painted her dress red first but I didn't like it so I painted it over black and the red underneath gives the black a very nice quality. There was a lot of work went into that. Oh yes, all out of my head".
(private correspondence).