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Artist to follow in LS Lowry's footsteps as Going to the Match heads for Bolton

Their Majesties at the town hall. Picture: Paul Heyes
Their Majesties at the town hall. Picture: Paul Heyes

The hunt is on for an illustrator whose work is to stand alongside an LS Lowry masterpiece at an exhibition in the town centre.

The exhibition, which will be at Bolton Museum from March 25, will boast as its centrepiece the artwork Going to the Match.

Secured at Christie's Modern British and Irish Art Sale last year by The Lowry, with support from the Law Family Charitable Foundation, this LS Lowry masterpiece shows Bolton Wanderers supporters outside Burnden Park. But other work is set to stand alongside it, some of it by an illustrator still to be commissioned.

The Bolton News: 1Lowry Going to The Match v2 Image courtesy of The Lowry (002)
The Bolton News: 1Lowry Going to The Match v2 Image courtesy of The Lowry (002)

An advert shared on the Arts Council website reads: "In the 1910s and 1920s, Lowry used to walk from his home in Pendlebury to Bolton, passing cotton mills, collieries and Bolton Wanderers' Burnden Park stadium on the way. In later life, he said the walk gave him the idea of painting 'the industrial scene'.

"Your illustrations will form part of a visual story map, displayed prominently in the exhibition, depicting key landmarks or features along the route of Lowry's walk. We are looking for an illustration style that complements rather than copies Lowry's famous style."

READ MORE: Going to the Match is heading to Bolton.

Recently, Going to the Match was on show in the town hall for an appearance by His Majesty King Charles and the Queen Consort.

His Majesty was 'a fan' of the artwork, according to the chief executive of The Lowry, Julia Fawcett, and 'taken' with the idea of it returning to the town.

READ MORE: King Charles charms the town of Bolton.

Also a fan is the Deputy Leader of Bolton Council Hilary Fairclough, who is the cabinet member responsible for culture in the borough.

Cllr Fairclough said: “Going to the Match is a much-loved masterpiece and we are so lucky it is coming to Bolton thanks to our friends in Salford.

“The exhibition will be a celebration of the painting and of the important role Bolton Wanderers Football Club plays in our community. I am sure it will bring in visitors from Bolton and beyond.”

Applications close on Monday and the illustrations are needed by March 3, around three weeks ahead of the exhibition. The budget for the illustrations is £3,250.

For information, contact Matthew Watson at Bolton Museum on matthew.watson@bolton.gov.uk or go to the Arts Council website.