Sotheby's hits jackpot: Iconic Lowry works sold for £15.2 million

KOLKATA: On Tuesday, March 25, some of L S Lowry's most iconic works fetched a combined total of £15.2 million ($25.1 million) at an evening auction at the Sotheby's of The A J Thompson Collection — the greatest collection of Britain's favourite artist assembled in recent history. The top lot of Tuesday night's sale was Piccadilly Circus, London, which sold for £5.1 million.

Frances Christie, Sotheby's head of Modern & Post-War British Art Department, commented in an email statement, "We are delighted with the results of tonight's sale, which reflect the superb quality of the works that Tony Thompson collected so carefully over the course of three decades. His instinct to home in on the very best examples of the artist's work generated enthusiastic response in the sale room. Underlying this evening's success was notable international bidding for an artist who is typically considered to have a particularly British appeal. We saw participation of clients from not only across Europe but also from the US, demonstrating the widespread demand for this remarkable artist's works. These were collectors who were buying in this collection category for the first time, as well as clients who were familiar to us but buying their first L S Lowry work. Tonight's result is a testament to Tony's passion for L S Lowry and his talent in assembling such an extraordinary collection."