L.S. Lowry's Going to the Match
- yartlondon
- Aug 26, 2025
- 2 min read
Updated: Aug 28, 2025
Produced from the original painting created in 1953, ‘Going to the Match’ is an offset lithograph printed in 1972 by Max Jaffé, Vienna. The print has since become one of his most celebrated. At first glance, it is unmistakably Lowry: crowds of matchstick figures moving en masse, the looming outlines of terraced houses and factories, and the smoke-filled sky of an industrial town.
Details: Offset lithograph printed in colours on wove paper 64 x 78.3 cm Hand signed in pencil by Lowry Edition of 300 1972 Printed by Max Jaffé, Vienna Published by the Medici Society, London With the Fine Art Trade Guild blindstamp
Unlike his contemporaries, Lowry’s attention was fixed on the shared rituals of public life. ‘Going to the Match’ captures one such ritual with striking clarity, a weekly pilgrimage of football supporters. They stream together toward the stadium, an anonymous yet unified crowd, their small individual stories absorbed into a larger collective identity.
The scene brings together two of Lowry’s enduring themes. First, the rhythms of ordinary existence, where working people shaped their days around both the demands of industry and the pleasures of leisure. Second, the communal power of football itself, not merely as a sport but as a binding force of belonging and excitement.
In ‘Going to the Match’, Lowry translates these ideas into his visual language: elongated limbs, clustered figures, a restricted palette, and the tension between movement and stillness. The football ground becomes both destination and symbol, representing a shared joy within an otherwise grey landscape.
About L.S. Lowry:
Laurence Stephen Lowry (1887-1976) was an English artist famous for his scenes featuring matchstick men, often in industrial settings. Lowry grew up in and around Manchester and went on to study at the Manchester School of Art. His style developed over time to the urban landscapes with figures that he is best known for, and later in his life, Lowry painted the coast and seascapes where he holidayed. Lowry exhibited throughout his life, his first solo show was at the Lefevre Gallery and he also exhibited at the Royal Academy. Lowry declined an OBE, CBE, knighthood and Order of the Companions of Honour multiple times during his lifetime. The Lowry Art Gallery was opened after Lowry’s death, holding over 300 of his artworks, and in 2014 he had his first international solo exhibition. The Lowry also holds several hundred of his artworks and today, Lowry’s work is found in countless collections such as the MOMA and Tate.
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