In 1961, a Joan Eardley painting left a Scottish gallery and vanished into private hands; 64 years later, it surfaced in an English charity shop, before selling for £29,500 in 2026 to fund medical research
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. 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. A search of its historical records confirmed the painting’s identity, 64 years after it was first sold.
Uncovering the paper trail
After receiving the enquiry from the East Midlands charity shop, Tommy Zyw, director of The Scottish Gallery, checked the gallery’s handwritten sales books and old daily records. The records showed that Summer Fields was first sold by Joan Eardley in May 1961. After confirming the details, gallery staff arranged for the painting to be safely taken back to Edinburgh for a closer inspection. “From the moment it was unwrapped, its authenticity was clear,” Zyw stated in details published by art and events website What’s On Edinburgh. “The surface, the handling, the authority of the mark all pointed unmistakably to Eardley. Sixty-four years after it had left us, Summer Fields had returned.” Professional cleaning removed years of dirt from the canvas. This revealed a view of the coastal village of Catterline in Aberdeenshire in late September. Eardley lived and painted there during the final years of her life. The painting shows part of a farmer’s field in the autumn light. Wild grasses and seed heads fill the foreground, giving the scene a rich texture.
Raising funds for medical research
The painting returned to public view when The Scottish Gallery displayed it at the British Art Fair in September 2025. 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. The sale raised £29,500, making it the most valuable single item the charity had ever sold. All the proceeds went directly towards medical research across the United Kingdom. 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.”He added: “From Joan Eardley painting this work in Catterline, its sale in 1961, decades enjoyed privately then its arrival on the charity shop’s shelf, to the phone call that started its return to Scotland; we have been proud to support Summer Fields on its continuing journey.”
Public exhibition and lasting legacy
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 exhibition runs from 2 April to 28 June 2026. It features more than 30 works by Eardley, alongside selected pieces from the national collection. The display explores her work and links with Scottish and international artists of her time. Eardley died of cancer in 1963 at the age of 42. 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. The Scottish Gallery has represented Eardley’s estate since it first exhibited her paintings in 1955. 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. Its sale has also raised £29,500 for medical research across the UK.
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