A forgotten painting of the former Merthyr synagogue by renowned artist LS Lowry has fetched almost £300,000 at auction. The artwork titled Old Church, Merthyr Tydfil dates back to 1960 and was last seen in 1965 at the Royal Academy Summer Exhibition in London, according to local historian Christopher Clifford.
Christopher said he first became aware of the piece a few years ago while researching for his book on the former synagogue. He said: "I previously had no idea Lowry even stepped foot in Merthyr Tydfil. Paintings usually stay in private collections, so I never thought I would ever see it. The family that has owned it for the last 57 years has passed it down through the generations. The painting has never been exhibited since it was shown to the public in late 1965."
Christopher said he believed Lowry would have stood on High Street, then taken a rough sketch of the former synagogue before painting it back at his workshop. He said it's possible Lowry didn't realise the magnificent building was that of a synagogue at the time he created the piece.
