Search for the New L.S. Lowry
ROCCO FORTE’S THE LOWRY HOTEL SEARCHING FOR NEW L.S. LOWRY TO CO-INCIDE WITH
EXHIBITION OF TWO PREVIOUSLY UNSEEN WORKS
The Lowry Hotel, part of the Rocco Forte Collection is searching for the next L.S. Lowry, by working with local schools in Greater Manchester.
The competition was launched in October, in celebration of the arrival of two previously un-exhibited Lowry works at the hotel on 16th November. Local school children, aged 5 to 11 years have been invited to submit their interpretation of these two works.
The Lowry Hotel will be turning the best interpretation in to a print which will be displayed in the hotel, and Sotheby’s will be presenting the winner with a selection of postcards of their artwork.
The works are coming back to Manchester, the city where L.S. Lowry was born in 1887 and in which he spent his working life, for a limited period of time before they go under the hammer at Sotheby’s in London on 13th December for an combined pre-sale estimate of £1.7-2 million.
On 16th November the works will be open to the public in one of the hotel’s meeting rooms, where fans of the artist can visit them and be amongst the first people to have viewed them since they were painted.
Earlier on in the day, the children who participated in the competition will be invited to come along to see the paintings and congratulate the winner, along with the unveiling of the print and seeing their paintings displayed alongside those of the great L.S. Lowry himself.
The two paintings entitled, “A Fairground” (1938) and “The Football Match” (1960) have never before been on view to the public and both pieces rank among L.S. Lowry’s most important and accomplished works to have ever come to the market.
A Fairground remained in the same private hands since it was purchased around 1950, having never been published. The painting is an exciting rediscovery and is a valuable addition to the artist’s catalogue, after having been away from the public eye for so long. It is expected to reach £700,000-£1,000,000 at auction.
The Football Match has all the qualities that have placed Lowry at the forefront of the 20th century British art market. The combination of the grand industrial setting and the human crowd around the football match make this a signature piece. It’s a celebration of the place which football held in the heart of the ordinary working man and the way in which the teams of the north West dominated English football.
The exhibition will run at The Lowry Hotel on 16th November 2007. The paintings will be auctioned at Sotheby’s on 13th December 2007.
To find out more information about The Lowry Hotel or to make a booking, call 0161 827 4034 or log on to www.roccofortecollection.com.
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For more information please contact:
Helen Hipkiss, PR and Marketing Manager, The Lowry Hotel, 50 Dearmans Place,
Chapel Wharf, Salford, Manchester, M3 5LH
T: 00 44 (0) 161 827 4012 F: 00 44 (0) 161 827 4001
E: hhipkiss@roccofortecollection.com
NOTES FOR EDITORS
The Rocco Forte Collection was established in 1996 to create a group of luxury hotels in Europe. The hotels have individual styles, with each hotel reflecting its nationality and location. The properties are linked together under The Rocco Forte Collection, which guarantees attention to detail, quality and service delivery.
The company is celebrating its ten year anniversary this year. The Rocco Forte Collection took control of The Balmoral in Edinburgh on 1 March 1997.
The Rocco Forte Collection includes:
- Hotel de Russie, Rome
- Hotel Savoy, Florence
- The Balmoral, Edinburgh
- The Lowry Hotel, Manchester
- Hotel Astoria, St Petersburg
- Hotel Amigo, Brussels
- Brown’s Hotel, London
- Villa Kennedy, Frankfurt
- Hotel de Rome, Berlin
- Le Richemond, Geneva
- The Charles Hotel, Munich
Future openings:
Prague - 2008
Verdura Golf & Spa Resort, Sicily – 2009
Marrakech - 2009
For further information and online reservations, please visit The Rocco Forte Collection website: www.roccofortecollection.com.
