A long-unseen painting of the former synagogue in Merthyr Tydfil, Wales, by the noted English artist L.S. Lowry has sold at auction for £277,200.
Though clearly an accurate representation of the Merthyr Tydfil synagogue — which is currently being developed as a Welsh Jewish Heritage Center, Lowry called his oil on canvas painting Old Church, Merthyr-Tydfil. It was painted in 1960, when the building was still used as a synagogue.
In the painting, states the description by Christie’s Auction House, which had estimated it would sell between £120,000 and £180,000:
a small group of people stand in the middle of the road (Lowry eschewed traffic save for the occasional horse ambulance, or the contraption – an invalid carriage), dwarfed by the structures around them, staring up at a single figure who serves to emphasise the imposing majesty of the building above him. The curving pavement and circular staircase contrast sharply with the lines and symmetry of the church on the horizon.
Built in 1876-77, the Merthyr Tydfil synagogue is the oldest purpose-built synagogue still standing in Wales and is considered architecturally one of the most important synagogues in the UK. It was sold in 1983 when the Jewish community disbanded.
Following its sale, it was used as a community center and a gym and then stood derelict condition from 2006.
The London-based Foundation for Jewish Heritage purchased the synagogue building in 2019 and received major funding for urgent preservation work. Half of the funding came from the CADW, the Welsh government’s historic environment service.
“We were not aware of this Lowry painting and are excited that it has come to light,” Foundation CEO Michael Mail said in a statement. He said the Foundation was “hoping to establish who the new owner of the painting is, so we can introduce ourselves and our project.”
Lowry (1887-1976) is known for his urban and industrial scenes.
Christie’s noted:
Lowry was fascinated by churches and places of worship, and they appear in paintings and drawings repeatedly throughout his career. The church was a focal point of the urban landscape and, for Lowry, they had as much possibility of drawing a crowd to sketch as a factory, a mill, or the local cinema or fish and chip shop.
Welsh Jewish Heritage Center web site
Christie’s listing for the painting