Aberdeen painter Eric Auld dies

ERIC Auld, one of the best-known painters in the north east of Scotland, has died.

Painter Eric Auld has died. Picture: Contributed

Mr Auld, who was in his 80s, was renowned for his stunning images of Aberdeen and the landscapes of the area. He died on Christmas Eve after a spell in hospital.

A graduate of Aberdeen’s Gray’s School of Art, Mr Auld was a Burgess of the Guild of the City of Aberdeen, and a Fellow of the Royal Society of Arts.

Earlier this year a special exhibition of his work, spanning more than 60 years, was staged at Aberdeen University.

The exhibition - “Eric Auld: A Portrayal of Aberdeen City and Shire” - featured paintings depicting Aberdeen city centre, Old Aberdeen and the surrounding countryside. Among the artworks were montages of prominent local architectural features and representations of Aberdeenshire hills and fields.

Many of his paintings were commissioned by oil companies and other prominent businesses in the north east and his paintings can be found in public and private collections throughout the world.

Mr Auld recently joined other leading members of Aberdeen’s arts community to condemn the controversial plans for the redevelopment of Aberdeen Art Gallery. He branded the proposals for the interior alteration to the art gallery, including the demolition of its historic marble staircase, as “tantamount to vandalism.”