The Lowry has responded to Salford Mayor, Paul Dennett’s, plea for local football clubs to save L.S. Lowry’s Going to the Match from being auctioned into private ownership.
The call comes after the piece is due to be auctioned by the Professional Footballer’s Association (PFA) next month at Christie’s Auction House, London.
Estimated to be worth up to £8 million, the work has been on long-term loan at The Lowry Gallery, where the rest of the Salfordian painter’s works are displayed.
A spokesperson for The Lowry said: “We have been very grateful to the Professional Footballers Association for the generosity of their loan over the last 22 years and looking ahead we are committed to the work remaining on public view, either in our galleries or elsewhere, and are working closely with Christie’s in the run up to the auction, with this objective in mind.”
Depicting a Matchday at Burnden Park Stadium (previous home of Bolton Wanderers), the 1953 painting features Lowry’s iconic working-class stick-figures, terraced houses, and industrial northern scenery.
After being bought for £1.9 million by the PFA in 1999, the painting is now being sold to support the PFA’s charitable arm, helping players and former players in health, legal issues, education and finance.
The painting is expected to be auctioned at Christie’s Auction House, London, in Mid-October.
Earlier this week, Mr Dennett expressed his concerns over the auction, calling for local football clubs to consider buying the painting. He tweeted: “Wouldn’t it be truly tragic if this iconic L.S Lowry painting “Going to the Match” was sold to a private collector & ceased to be free to access by people here in the City of Salford as it has been for the past 22 years on the walls of The Lowry?”
He also tweeted: “It would be truly tragic for our footballing community, heritage and proud working class history here in Salford, Greater Manchester & the North if this iconic painting ceased to be free to access as part of L.S Lowry’s biggest collection of paintings and drawings.”
Save L.S Lowry’s iconic “Going to the Match” and keep it free to access for people in the City of Salford / Greater Manchester / The North. 👇🏻👇🏻👇🏻 https://t.co/iejTjEZupW
— SalfordMayor (@salford_mayor) September 28, 2022
In response to Dennett’s plea, a spokesperson for The Lowry said: “LS Lowry’s painting Going to the Match is a hugely important and much-loved work of art that has been on almost permanent public display at The Lowry since we opened in 2000.
“It was one of the first paintings hung on our walls and has become a favourite with visitors ever since. We are proud to have been custodians of Going to the Match and feel a deep connection to the work. It’s significance to us as an organisation cannot be undervalued and is matched by the affection the painting is held in by the public, who visit us in their thousands every year to view it.
Lowry’s Going to the Match will be auctioned at Christie’s in Mid-October.
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