Northern Art
We hold four dedicated Northern Art auctions each year, with a free valuation service if you're thinking of selling. Our sales regularly feature work by renowned artists like L.S. Lowry, Geoffrey Key, William Turner and Trevor Grimshaw.
Our auctions regularly feature work by well-known artists including L.S. Lowry, Geoffrey Key, William Turner, Trevor Grimshaw and Harold Riley, alongside emerging and contemporary names. We also include 20th-century Welsh and Scottish artists in these sales.
Northern Art is the term for the group of 20th-century artists who took the urban landscapes of the North West as their subject. We've built a strong following for the category, and our sales attract collectors, institutions and private buyers.
Over the last two decades, prices for artists such as Helen Bradley and William Turner have followed the trajectory of L.S. Lowry and his contemporaries.
Younger painters including Peter Stanaway and Liam Spencer give the genre a contemporary direction. The category is increasingly supported by institutional collections and by the promise of catalogue raisonnés.
Our specialist, Stephen Sparrow, has close working relationships with many of the artists and their estates.
Department specialists
What's selling well
A snapshot of what's attracting strong interest in our recent Northern Art sales.
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“A Harassed Mother” achieves £41,000 in March sale
Our March Northern Art sale featured the Professor W.J. Orville Thomas collection, with works of strong personal provenance from L.S. Lowry and Harold Riley. That history helped drive Lowry's original drawing, A…
Sold for: £41,000
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James Downie (British 1949-) Going to the Match
Signed, dated 2022 on verso, oil on canvas. Dimensions: 30.5 x 40.5cm
Sold for: £380
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"Nocturne, Portnahaven" by Donald McIntyre reached £2,700
Donald McIntyre R.I., R.Cam.A., S.M.A. (British 1923-2009) "Nocturne, Portnahaven" Initialled, titled on artist's label verso, acrylic on board. Dimensions: 19.5 x 27.5cm (framed 41 x 48.5cm) Todmorden Fine Art.
Sold for: £2,700
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"Chasing the Moon" Geoffrey Key (British 1941–) reaches £9,200
Signed and dated '95, titled on verso, oil on canvas. Dimensions: 88.5 x 57.5cm (framed 104.5 x 73.5cm). Acquired directly from the artist. From a deceased estate.
Sold for: £9,200
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William Turner F.R.S.A., R.Cam.A. (British 1920-2013) "Bridgefield"
Signed, titled on verso, oil on board. Dimensions: 19 x 24cm (framed 36 x 41cm)
Sold for: £4,100
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Trevor Grimshaw "Mosley"
Signed and dated '95, charcoal and graphite. Dimensions: 22 x 59.5cm (framed 43.5 x 80.5cm)
Sold for: £1,300
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"Works in the snow" by Theodore Major (British 1908-1999)
Signed, titled and authenticated - 'This picture is by my father Theodore Major - Mary Major, December 7th 2007' on verso, oil on board. Dimensions: 75cm x 93cm (29.5in x 36.5in). Collect Art Gallery, Lymm, Cheshire…
Sold for: £20,000
Northern Art Auctions
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The John Thompson Studio Collection: No Reserve Timed Auction
21st August – 20th September from 17:00 GMT/BST
Northern art FAQs
Find answers to common enquiries about buying and selling in this department.
Start with a free valuation. Send us clear photos, including any signatures, labels and paperwork, and our specialist will tell you whether it's a fit for one of our Northern Art sales and what it might achieve. There's no obligation to go further.
You have three options: send images and details through our online form, message us on WhatsApp, or book an appointment at the saleroom in Nantwich. For larger collections, we can also visit you at home.
Work by names such as L.S. Lowry, Geoffrey Key, William Turner, Trevor Grimshaw and Harold Riley, alongside contemporary artists like Peter Stanaway and Liam Spencer, and 20th-century Welsh and Scottish artists.
There's no fee if your item doesn't sell. Commission is only payable on a successful sale, and valuations are always free.
It has the backing of institutional collections, a growing number of catalogue raisonnés, and a clear lineage from L.S. Lowry through Helen Bradley and William Turner to contemporary names such as Peter Stanaway and Liam Spencer. Buyer interest comes from collectors, institutions and private buyers, both in the UK and internationally.
Get your Northern art valued by our experts
From a single piece to a whole collection, our specialists value your items, place them in the right sale and guide you through to payment.
