Two sculptures by the acclaimed artist Dame Barbara Hepworth have gone on display at The Lowry theatre and art gallery in Salford.
The Lowry’s gallery have taken bronzes ‘Involute II’ and ‘Forms in Movement (Pavan)’ on loan from the collection of the Professional Footballers’ Association.
The PFA acquired both sculptures at auction at Christie’s in London last year.
Involute II, a 40cm-high bronze made in 1956, and Forms in Movement, from Hepworth’s later period in 1967, were last shown to the public in the early 1980s.
Involute II was put up for auction with a reserve of $300,000, while the larger Forms in Movement is thought to be worth in the region of $500,000.
Hepworth was a known admirer of Lowry’s work – and the two artists featured in an exhibition together at Monk’s Hall Museum in Eccles in October 1964.
50 years ago in Eccles: Boys make incredible discovery of ‘spaceman’s helmet’
Pics/Video: Grade-II listed Monks Hall Museum in Eccles goes up in flames
Claire Stewart, curator of The Lowry Collection, said: “Hepworth was a sculptor who achieved international prominence with her instantly recognisable modernist style, just as Lowry himself developed his own unique perspective on the modern industrial city.
“We are delighted to be given the opportunity by the PFA to display these two Hepworth sculptures alongside Lowry’s work.”
In July 2014, The Lowry galleries were renamed The Andrew and Zoë Law Galleries in recognition of the couple’s £1m donation to the arts centre – which is a registered charity.
The galleries are open seven days a week and admission is free.
