A5 (21 x 14.8 cm) single postcard featuring Labour of Love by Michael Youds, from the National Galleries of Scotland Collection. This portrait depicts Tommy Robertson, the owner of Backtracks Music and Games - a second-hand music, games and equipment shop in the Tollcross area of Edinburgh. His shop has been open for over thirty years and is known as ‘the best Aladdin's Cave of hard-to-find vinyl oldies’.
The title, Labour of Love, comes from the UB40 album of the same name - which can be seen at the bottom left-hand corner - and hints at Robertson's passion for collecting and music. It also references the artist’s time spent working on the painting which took 10 months to complete.
Michael Youds won third prize in the BP Portrait Award 2020 with this painting. In addition to being a portrait artist, Youds is a gallery attendant at the National Galleries of Scotland.
