The Football Match by Laurence Stephen Lowry (1949) made a new world record price for the artist at Christies. (Click on image to enlarge)
There was a new world record for the artist L.S. Lowry at Christie’s in London on May 29. The Football Match, which dates from 1949, made £5,641,250, against a pre-sale estimate of £3.5million to 4.5 million. This is the highest price ever paid in the 20th Century British Art category. It went to a European private buyer.
The previous record for the artist was set at Christie’s in 2007 with Good Friday, Daisy Nook , 1946. It made £3,772,000 and a then record for 20th century British art.
At the same sale a tennis painting by Sir John Lavery, R.A., R.S.A., R.H.A. (1856-1941) entitled Played!! made £657,250 against an estimate of £600,000-800,000. It was bought by a UK private bidder. The painting was last sold at Christie’s Irish Sale in 2001, when it made £575,750.
A 1951 work by William Scott (1913-1989) entitled Still Life made £337,250 against an estimate of £300,000 – 500,000.