LS Lowry’s Going to the Match is one of the most recognisable paintings in Britain today.
It captured the scene, in 1953, as crowds flocked to Bolton Wanderers’ then-Burnden Park ground and would go on to break all records for the sale of a British artist’s work at the time when the Professional Footballers Association (PFA) acquired it for £1.9m in 1999.
And now, the work has been recreated by five-year old Amelia Griffiths from Horwich in Bolton, whose bedroom overlooks The Trotters’ modern-day home, Macron Stadium.
The acrylic paint on canvas, which Amelia has named Still Going to the Match, is from the same aspect as Lowry’s work – albeit with the striking architecture of a modern football stadium.
The work was Amelia’s entry to the 2017 Copley Prize – an annual competition for 4-11-year-olds to produce a painting or drawing inspired by the famous artist’s work.
Her work was chosen as this year’s winner by Noel and Alison Copley, who founded the competition, along with the curator of The Lowry Collection, Claire Stewart.
Commenting on her success, Amelia said: “It feels amazing to win. I feel proud of myself. My favourite hobbies are painting and dancing. Thank you for picking my picture”.
And when asked how she would feel is someone paid £1.9m for one of her paintings one day, she said: “’I’d share it with my family and save some for me to buy a kinder egg and with the change I’d buy new paints and paint brushes and paper and new dance stuff.”
Claire Stewart, added: “Going to the Match is one of the most popular works in the collection – and the fact Amelia has captured this work from her own bedroom window is not dissimilar to Lowry’s own approach, which was to paint what he found in front of him.”
Noel and Alison Copley said: “We loved Amelia’s painting from the moment we saw it and were amazed when we found out she was only five years old. It’s a lovely painting and a worthy winner.”
Amelia’s painting will hang in the permanent LS Lowry exhibition at The Lowry for one year.
