Laurence Stephen Lowry’s “The Football Match” has recently set a new record for the artist. The painting was not seen in public for almost two decades and now that it emerged on the market, it stirred quite a bidding war at Christie’s sale in London last Thursday. It was expected to sell for between £3.5 million and £4.5 million, but it finally went for a whopping £5,641,250 (approximately $9,105,000), including the buyer’s premium.
The 28” x 36” painting is still in mint condition, even though it was painted back in 1949, during the highest point of Lowry’s career. As the title clearly suggests, the canvas depicts a football match. This sport was and still is one of Britain’s most popular. Lowry is famous for his unique depictions of the unsophisticated life of the working-class. He only painted in his spare time, as he was an employee at the Pall Mall Property in Manchester. His previous most expensive work was a £3.8 million canvas sold by Christie’s in 2007.
