An important early oil painting by the late East Lothian artist John Bellany has fetched more than £36,000 at auction in Glasgow.

The Players was completed in 1967 when Bellany, from Port Seton, attended the Royal College of Art in London.

Considered a pivotal piece by Bellany, it featured the acclaimed artist alongside a long-haired companion, playing musical instruments.

The 1.83m x 1.61m oil painting on board was the Highlight of McTear’s Scottish Contemporary Art Auction, where it was sold to a collector for £36,840.

Magda Ketterer, McTear’s Director, said demand for work by the artist, who died in 2013, has never been higher.

She added: “These early pieces are amongst Bellany’s finest.”