Edinburgh Artist Reunited with Long-Lost Painting at the Western

What began as an ordinary hospital visit turned into an extraordinary moment of rediscovery for one Edinburgh artist and a heartwarming reminder of the stories hanging on the walls of our hospitals.

Dr Duncan Thomson (96) was visiting a friend at the Western General Hospital when something on the wall caught his attention. There, hanging in the corridor between wards 53 and 54, was a painting he recognised instantly because he had created it himself, more than half a century ago.

The painting dates back to the 1950s, when Duncan was a young man studying at the Edinburgh College of Art. Somehow, over the decades, the piece had found its way into the Eastern General Hospital and consequently the ward corridor here at the Western. How exactly it came into the hospitals’ collection remains something of a mystery but what matters is that, after all those years, the artist is finally reunited with his artwork.

The painting is part of the Tonic Art Collection, which features over 2,500 artworks displayed across more than 30 NHS Lothian sites. Managed by NHS Lothian Charity, with support from the Royal Scottish Academy, the collection exists with a meaningful purpose: to enrich the environment of our hospitals for patients, staff and visitors. Art in hospitals is known to support wellbeing, reduce anxiety and make what can be a daunting experience feel a little more human.

Duncan’s chance rediscovery is a perfect illustration of why these carefully curated artworks around our hospitals matter so much. For patients and visitors walking those corridors every day, the paintings are a quiet comfort and a reminder that there is beauty and care in even the most clinical of surroundings. For Duncan, that same corridor held something far more personal: a piece of his own young creative life, preserved and displayed with dignity.

Following the remarkable discovery, Duncan was welcomed by NHS Lothian Charity at the Western where he met with the Tonic Arts Programme team and Site Director Chris Stirling. They discussed plans for a special commemorative plaque to be placed beside the painting, so that future visitors will know the story of the man who made it, as it continues to brighten the corridor between wards 53 and 54 for many years to come.

For our colleagues working across the Western, this story serves as a lovely reminder of the hidden stories that surround us every day; in the artwork on our walls and in the people who pass through our doors.

Dr Thomson, who is now retired from his position as a Director of the Scottish National Portrait Gallery, said:

People in my generation start digging up memories – some are good, and some are bad. This is a curious one, a discovery!

“I’ve called the painting ‘Across the Other Land’ which is taken from the first few lines of a poem by Edwin Muir, one of Scotland’s greatest poets.”

Susan Grant, Tonic Arts Programme Manager at NHS Lothian Charity, added:

It was such a special moment to be able to reunite an artist with a work they created so many years ago. Given that Dr Thomson, as an Honorary RSA Academician, also has such a strong connection to Scotland’s artistic community makes it even more meaningful, particularly in a year celebrating the RSA’s 200-year legacy.

“Our collection has been carefully developed and cared for over many years, and moments like this highlight the depth and history behind the artworks we now look after. It’s a real privilege to know that a piece created so early in an artist’s life has continued to exist in this way, quietly sitting alongside the rhythms of hospital life and connecting with people across generations.

“That’s what sits at the heart of Tonic Arts, bringing creativity into spaces where you might not expect to find it, but where it can have such a significant impact on overall wellbeing.”

Watch Duncan’s story on the Western General Hospital’s Instagram page: https://www.instagram.com/p/DZXfb4dN2Yo/