Estimated at between £ 1.2 million and £ 1.8million, the large-scale 1958 photo has never been auctioned before.

The seller bought it over two decades ago and it has already been exhibited at Lowry’s retrospective at the Royal Academy in 1976. It was last exhibited at AMNUA in Nanjing, China, in 2014.

Lowry’s works frequently depict industrial landscapes, public fairs, or crowds marching to athletic fields, but the subject of an ongoing auction is apparently unique in the artist’s work.

He is known to have painted a small handful of interior scenes such as intimate family groups, a doctor’s office, a campaign rally, and an outpatient room, and he broached the subject of auctions with a 1952 painting. depicting the exterior of Jackson’s Manchester auction house with furniture piled up outside. Earlier in his career, he also created a design titled Sell ​​the old antique store.

Frances Christie, Vice-President of Sotheby’s UK & Ireland, said: “The artist was no stranger to auctions himself and, as an avid collector of pre-Raphaelite clocks and art, he comes to his passion with auctions in auction houses from Manchester to London.

“He often kept track of his own photos when passing through Sotheby’s later in life, showing an appreciation for his work that stood in stark contrast to the start of his career when he fought for recognition.

While Lowry did not sell a single work in his first Manchester exhibition in 1921, he later met with great success with prices for his works reaching £ 7,000 during his lifetime. The financial independence he acquired allowed him to acquire works by young artists such as Sheila Fell and Lucian Freud, as well as the Pre-Raphaelites he had always favored. The artist acquired several important works including a version by Rossetti Proserpine which he bought at auction in 1964 for 5,000 guineas.

The auction of Auction will take place on November 23. It will be on display to the public ahead of the November 18-22 sale.