Lowry sells for £1.5m at auction

Lowry's painting was influenced by the industrial suburb he lived in

A painting by British artist LS Lowry has sold for nearly £1.5m at an auction in London.

Industrial Scene was bought by a private European bidder for £1.48m - the third highest price ever paid for a Lowry at auction, Christie's said.

The 1951 oil painting had been expected to fetch up to £1.2m.

Three other Lowry paintings were sold at the 20th Century British Art sale totalling £830,000. The auction was part of Christie's British Art Week.

"Today's auction saw a noticeable increase in bidding from international clients, highlighting the increasing appeal of the category to buyers from around the world," a Christie's spokesperson said.

The auction house has sold five Lowry works in the last two years for over £1m.