An arts center in Salford has spent £7.8m to keep a famous LS Lowry painting in his home city, after it was put up for sale by a charity last month.
The 1953 painting Going to the Match was bought at auction, largely thanks to a gift from the Law Family foundation.
The footballers’ charity The Players Foundation announced last month that it would sell the painting, which it had owned since 1999, in a bid to secure its financial future.
The charity had received an official warning from the Charity Commission about its inadequate financial management.
The auction house Christie’s, which was in charge of the sale, said at the time that the charity would “use proceeds from the sale to continue its charitable work in, among other things, assisting those with dementia and relieving poverty among current or former professionals players”.
The announcement led to a public appeal from Salford mayor Paul Dennett, who urged Manchester-based footballers to come together, buy the painting and donate it to the city.
This would have ensured that the painting stayed in Salford, where Lowry spent much of his life, and that it would remain accessible to the public.
The sale was completed at an auction on Wednesday evening. Bidding starts at £5m.
Julie Fawcett, chief executive of the Lowry, said: “We firmly believe this iconic artwork must remain on public view, so it can continue to be seen by the broadest possible audiences, for free.
“This evening, thanks to an incredibly generous gift from the Law Family charitable foundation, we are delighted to have purchased Going to the Match 1953 for the city’s collection of LS Lowry works.
“We look forward to bringing it home to Salford, where it can continue to delight and attract visitors to the Andrew and Zoë Law galleries at the Lowry.”
Paul Dennett, Salford mayor, said: “LS Lowry, Salford’s greatest and most iconic artist, made his name depicting working-class life – as such we emphatically believed going to the match should remain on public view free to access where everyone can see it .
“I am delighted our campaign to save this critical and important painting has successfully resulted in The Lowry securing it tonight, for the city of Salford in perpetuity for generations to come, for residents and visitors to our great city.”