An L.S. Lowry sketch on a tissue paper of an old handball court in South Wales, has sold for a staggering £8,680 at a Nantwich auction.
It’s thought the artist did the sketch in an idle moment in the café where he stopped for tea.
But in a sale held by fine art auctioneers Peter Wilson, it was bought by a private buyer from the Midlands.
The six-inch square napkin, dated November 6, 1961, was drawn probably on one of the several trips the Manchester artist made to South Wales in the 1960s.
He had been introduced to South Wales by Ebbw Vale businessman Monty Bloom, who became the artist’s friend and one of his major patrons.
“The trips encouraged Lowry to embark on a new era of painting, working in a new, intuitive and experimental way,” said Stephen Sparrow, Peter Wilson’s paintings specialist.
“Lowry and Bloom made visits to the area every six months or so and it is thought this sketch may have been done when the two men stopped for refreshment in a local café.
“One can well imagine Lowry drawing this whilst in discussions with Bloom and noting the exact location where he had seen the distinctive free-standing handball court in Nelson, now a listed building.”
Lowry gave the napkin as a gift to his close friend, the artist Percy Warburton, who then gave it to a Cheshire family who consigned it to the Peter Wilson sale.
Other Northern artists featured at the sale included Salford’s Geoffrey Key, Arthur Delaney (picture, below), and Donald McIntyre.
Antique furniture, vases and gold jewellery also featured prominently.
And in collectors’ items, a brass cab side locomotive number plate, No. 4055, overturned an estimate of £300-400 to sell for £2,000.
Entries are invited for gallery sales on May 26 and the important summer sale of antiques and fine art sales on July 6-7, entries for which close on May 27.
For details contact 01270623878 or [email protected]
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