Its return coincides with The Nature of Painting, a major exhibition of the artist’s work currently on display at the National Galleries of Scotland in Edinburgh.
The painting, titled Summer Fields, was identified after a manager at the charity shop noticed a faded label on the back after it arrived as part of a house-clearance donation.
The label included the words: “Summer, Joan, Exhibited, The Scottish Gallery.”
Tommy Zyw, director at The Scottish Gallery, 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.”
Following the discovery, Mr Zyw searched The Scottish Gallery archives and found a handwritten entry from May 1961 recording the sale of Summer Fields by Joan Eardley.
The painting was then transported to Edinburgh, where its authenticity was confirmed.
After conservation work, Summer Fields was revealed to be a luminous late-career landscape painted in Catterline.
It depicts a corner of a farmer’s field bathed in the golden light of late September, with textured grasses and seed heads in the foreground.
The painting was unveiled at the British Art Fair in September 2025, attracting significant attention, and was subsequently exhibited on Dundas Street in Edinburgh.
It has since been acquired by a distinguished collector of Scottish art.
The painting sold for £29,500, making it the charity’s highest-ever single work sale and raising vital funds for medical research in the UK.
Since 1955, The Scottish Gallery has played a central role in promoting Eardley’s work through exhibitions, scholarship and placing her paintings in major collections.
The Nature of Painting continues at Modern Two in Edinburgh until June 28, showcasing more than 30 works by Eardley.
