An L S Lowry painting which has been in the same family for 50 years could fetch up to £1.2m when it goes up for auction this week. "Street Scene" is a fine example of his distinctive style.
It has estimated price of £800,000 to £1.2m and will be sold at Bonhams in London on Novemebr 22nd. It was painted in 1941 when Lowry was living at 117 Station Road, Pendlebury. The terraced house was his home from 1908-48. For most of those years he lived there his mother Elizabeth, who died in 1939 without seeing her son recognised for his ability.
It was in an attic of the property that he created masterpieces which would later electrify auction houses. Penny Day, Bonhams Head of Modern and British Art, said: " Street Scene really is the perfect Lowry. Dating from 1941, it hails from what is traditionally considered his finest period and bears all the qualities of his most desirable work. The street that runs through the centre of the busy composition gives a strong sense of perspective, order and space.
