LS Lowry’s original ‘Going to the Match’ painting returns to Salford for the World Cup

The iconic painting will return to public display at The Lowry from Friday 25th November.

By Emma Davidson | Last updated 25 November 2022

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LS Lowry, Going to the Match, 1953 © The Estate of L.S. Lowry. All Rights Reserved, DACS 2022

Following a successful bid last month by The Lowry and Modern British & Irish Art Sale, LS Lowry’s unmistakable painting Going to the Match is coming home – returning to public display at The Lowry in Salford from this Friday.

This hugely important and much-loved work of art has been on public display in The Lowry’s galleries since it opened in 2000, on loan from the Professional Footballers’ Association.

Following their decision to sell Going to the Match, there were no guarantees that any future owners would share the commitment to keeping the work on public view and free to access.

However, The Lowry’s successful bid at Christie’s in London, to buy the painting for The Lowry Collection, means the artwork has been secured for the Salford gallery and will now be rehung at The Lowry, where it will be free to view.

The painting’s iconic status has been recognised and loved by visitors of all ages; those who love art, those who love football and those who celebrate this quintessentially Northern experience.

Julia Fawcett OBE, CEO of The Lowry, said:We passionately believed Going to the Match needed to remain on public view. Its safe return to our Galleries, thanks to the wonderfully generous gift from The Law Family Charitable Foundation, will be a huge moment for Salford, and we cannot wait to bring it home.”

Paul Dennett, Salford’s City Mayor, said: “This painting was created in the North and belongs in the North and thanks entirely to the generosity of the Law family it is coming home to Salford where it should be.  It is so important to have this iconic piece of art on view to the public for generations to come and I will be delighted to welcome it back.”

The Lowry galleries are free to everyone and display the famous LS Lowry Collection, alongside a vibrant programme of special exhibitions. Bringing visual arts and performance together are central to The Lowry’s exhibition and engagement programmes.

The Lowry galleries are named The Andrew and Zoe Law Galleries in recognition of the couple’s £1m donation to the arts centre, which is a registered charity.


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