Lowry's rare racing scene set to be sold at Christie's for eyewatering sum

A piece of racing history will be sold on Monday when L.S. Lowry’s famous work 'A Northern Race Meeting (1956)' goes under the hammer at Christie’s in London.

Perhaps best known for his depictions of mid-20th century industrial landscapes, this picture illustrates a lesser known diversity in Lowry's work that included painting of both racing and football scenes.

Depicting a series of bookmakers, each with their own distinctive characteristics at a non-specific raceday in the north west, A Northern Race Meeting was bought by London manufacturer Barnett Shine in 1957 and has remained within the family ever since.

With an estimated value of between £1.5 million and £2.5m, the picture has hung in the Graves Gallery in Sheffield since the death of Sylvia Shine in 1978, and was included in a centenary exhibition celebrating Lowry’s work in 1987.

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