Letter: Art attack

So, THE Royal Scottish Academy has sold English artist LS Lowry's The Hawker's Cart for £550,000 to "rationalise" its collection (your report, 4 June). Someone has deemed that this popular work may not fit in with its collection of Scottish art.

As someone who considers himself to be Scottish and British, I am very disappointed that the RSA feels visitors such as myself can appreciate only home-grown works.

I trust the RSA will bear this new policy in mind the next time it wishes to charge for a summer exhibition by such well-kent Scottish artists as Monet and Gauguin. Additionally, I wish to pledge my support to art historian John Chalmers in his crusade to retain John James Audubon's Wild Turkey Cock, Hen and Young, which the RSA seems also set to sell.

I am especially aggrieved as the painting was given as a gift from the painter to the academy in 1826 - how is it even entitled to sell something gifted to the nation, intended to be enjoyed by the people?

We should feel honoured to have a painting of such calibre on show in the capital. I implore the RSA to give the Audubon pride of place, where it belongs.

STEVEN ROBERTSON

Stuart Crescent

Corstorphine, Edinburgh