Laurence Stephen Lowry R.A. (British, 1887-1976)
Going to the Match

1972
signed in pencil
from the edition of 300
with The Fine Art Trade Guild blindstamp, blindstamped BJB
printed by Max Jaffé, Vienna, published by the Medici Society, London
framed
ARR

Dimensions: image 52.8 x 68cm

Gifted on the occasion of retiring from the Bolton Evening News, thence by descent to the present owner

Going to the Match is one of L.S. Lowry’s most iconic and widely recognized scenes, capturing the essence of working-class life in mid-20th-century Britain. This print is after the celebrated 1953 oil painting of the same name. The composition depicts a sea of football fans en route to Burnden Park, the former home of Bolton Wanderers. As spectators stream towards the stadium, the image hums with the energy and anticipation of match day, evoking the communal atmosphere of British football culture.

In the background, Lowry presents a landscape of industrial buildings, typical of his work, alongside rows of terraced houses. These architectural elements, while grounded in the reality of the working-class districts, are imagined to form part of the setting for the football match. This blending of the real and the imagined is a key characteristic of Lowry’s artistic practice, creating a dynamic tension that encourages the viewer to reflect on the intersection of industrial life and popular culture.

Though Lowry did not personally support the Bolton Wanderers, football was an integral part of his life, and more broadly, it has long been a central cultural pillar in the lives of working-class men. By framing this scene within an imagined industrial landscape, Lowry subtly evokes the broader social context in which these communities lived. The painting’s setting is not only a celebration of leisure, but also an acknowledgment of the constant nature of industrial labour that underpinned the everyday. The smoke from the factories, ever-present in Lowry’s works, serves as a reminder of the working class's struggle and resilience.

Going to the Match is often regarded as one of the finest depictions of British football culture, capturing not only the fervour of the sport but also the social rituals and collective experiences that surround it. The painting's profound connection to the British working-class identity, and to Lowry's lived experience was underscored when it set the record for the highest auction price ever achieved by a Lowry work, fetching £7.8 million in 2022.

In 1972, in collaboration with the Medici Society, Lowry oversaw the production of a limited edition run of offset lithographs based on this iconic work. This method of reproduction, then at the height of technical achievement in printmaking, allowed a wider audience to acquire one of Lowry’s most important images, further solidifying its place within the canon of British art.