Article Source: The Scottish Gallery
A landscape painting by Scottish artist Joan Eardley, which disappeared into private ownership after leaving a Scottish gallery in 1961, has been found in an English charity shop. The painting later sold for £29,500, with all the money going towards medical research in the UK. A search of its historical records confirmed the painting’s identity, 64 years after it was first sold. The painting returned to public view when The Scottish Gallery displayed it at the British Art Fair in September 2025. The sale raised £29,500, making it the most valuable single item the charity had ever sold.
Speaking about the painting’s journey, Zyw said: “This story speaks of the enduring power of Joan Eardley’s painting and of the role of careful stewardship, archives, and expertise in bringing such works back into the public arena.” The oil painting, titled Summer Fields, was found when a charity shop manager in the East Midlands accepted a dark canvas as part of a house clearance donation. A damaged paper label on the back of the frame offered a clue. It read: “Summer, Joan, Exhibited, The Scottish Gallery. The shop staff contacted The Scottish Gallery in Edinburgh. It was later shown at the gallery’s main premises on Dundas Street in Edinburgh. The artwork was then sold on behalf of the East Midlands charity shop to a prominent private collector of Scottish art. All the proceeds went directly towards medical research across the United Kingdom.
The exhibition runs from 2 April to 28 June 2026. It features more than 30 works by Eardley, alongside selected pieces from the national collection. Eardley died of cancer in 1963 at the age of 42. The Scottish Gallery has represented Eardley’s estate since it first exhibited her paintings in 1955. Its sale has also raised £29,500 for medical research across the UK.
The return of Summer Fields comes as the National Galleries of Scotland presents a major exhibition of Eardley’s work. Titled Joan Eardley | The Nature of Painting, it is being held at Modern Two in Edinburgh. The display explores her work and links with Scottish and international artists of her time. She is still regarded as one of the most expressive British painters of the mid-20th century. Much of her work focused on children living in Glasgow’s Townhead district and the changing weather along the Kincardineshire coast. It has continued to arrange private sales and help place her works with collectors. The discovery of Summer Fields has brought an important part of Eardley’s artistic history back into view.