AN important artwork commissioned in 2012 by then first minister Alex Salmond is being auctioned.
Flower Studies, by the late Dame Elizabeth Blackadder, was used for his charity Christmas card to mark the Year of Natural Scotland the following year.
Salmond unveiled the painting at the Royal Botanic Gardens in Edinburgh, and it was subsequently auctioned to raise money for Breakthrough Breast Cancer, Dyslexia Scotland, the Scottish Steelworkers Memorial Fund, and the Sick Kids Friends Foundation.
The Falkirk-born artist, who died on August 23 – a month short of her 90th birthday – was the first woman to be elected to both the Royal Academy and the Royal Scottish Academy.
The painting will be sold in the Modern and Contemporary Art Sale at Tennants Auctioneers, North Yorkshire in October at an estimate of £18,000 to £25,000.
Why are you making commenting on The National only available to subscribers?
We know there are thousands of National readers who want to debate, argue and go back and forth in the comments section of our stories. We’ve got the most informed readers in Scotland, asking each other the big questions about the future of our country.
Unfortunately, though, these important debates are being spoiled by a vocal minority of trolls who aren’t really interested in the issues, try to derail the conversations, register under fake names, and post vile abuse.
So that’s why we’ve decided to make the ability to comment only available to our paying subscribers. That way, all the trolls who post abuse on our website will have to pay if they want to join the debate – and risk a permanent ban from the account that they subscribe with.
The conversation will go back to what it should be about – people who care passionately about the issues, but disagree constructively on what we should do about them. Let’s get that debate started!
Callum Baird, Editor of The National
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules here