Early Lowry painting sold to Guardian literary editor for £10 could fetch £1m

When LS Lowry sold one of his earliest paintings to the literary editor of the Manchester Guardian in 1926, he had an immediate change of heart.

- Libby Brooks

Arthur Wallace had edited a supplement for the Guardian to accompany a civic week organised by Manchester city council in October 1926, and featured three paintings by the then struggling artist.

As Wallace's grandson Keith explains, Lowry was featured in an accompanying exhibition at a Manchester department store, and Wallace - who had fallen for his sooty panoramas of factory-bound crowds - offered to buy one.

"Lowry said with great daring: 'Could we say £10?' and Grandpa wrote a cheque. Then Lowry wrote back to him saying: 'I think I've charged you too much. Can I give you another one as well?' So Grandpa got two Lowrys for his £10."

Going to the Mill, the painting that caught Arthur's eye, is now coming to auction for the first time since that generous exchange, after the Wallace family finally decided to part with it.

The rare early work, which is to be sold by Lyon & Turnbull in London at the beginning of May, is a preliminary depiction of what would become Lowry's classic subject, said Simon Hucker, a fine art specialist at the auctioneer.