Christie’s

LONDON.- 2011 marked an unprecedented year for the category of 20th Century British and Irish Art, with Christie’s realising the highest sale total for the category at the inaugural Evening Sale in November (£23.6 million), and setting the two highest prices for any work in the category when both Piccadilly Circus, London, 1960, and The Football Match, 1949, by L.S. Lowry, R.A.(1887-1976) each sold for £5.6 million, in November and May respectively. Building on this, Christie’s London sets the tone for the 2012 sales in this field with a stellar array of important works, both in the 20th Century British and Irish Art Evening Sale (45 lots), on Wednesday 23 May, and the Day Sale (161 lots), on the 24 May. The star lot of the series is an exemplary oil, Industrial Landscape: Stockport Viaduct, 1958, by Lowry. In this image: Laurence Stephen Lowry, R.A. (1887-1976), Industrial Landscape; Stockport Viaduct, signed and dated ‘L.S. LOWRY 1958’ (lower left) and inscribed ‘Industrial Landscape’ (on the canvas overlap), oil on canvas, 20 x 24 in. (50.8 x 61 cm.). Est: £1,200,000-1,800,000/ US$1,900,000-2,700,000/ €1,400,000-2,000,000. Photo: Christies Images Ltd 2012.