Alexander Goudie's painting *The First Drink*, a key illustration from his celebrated series based on Robert Burns' poem *Tam o' Shanter*, will be auctioned at McTear’s Scottish Contemporary Art Auction in Glasgow on February 26. The oil painting, estimated at £10,000–£20,000, depicts the poem's protagonist resting beside his horse Meg and is being sold by an anonymous vendor who has owned it since it was commissioned in the late 1990s.
The sale matters because Goudie's 54-painting series, housed at Rozelle House in South Ayrshire, is widely regarded as the most important visual interpretation of Burns' classic poem. The work's cultural significance was underscored by a national campaign that preserved the collection with support from major foundations. The auction highlights ongoing market interest in both Burns-related material and major Scottish figurative art.