It’s not a sight that you would see every day but if you happened to be walking around Salford Crescent earlier you may have seen a man herding four sheep along the road.

The reason? The ceremony marked Harold Riley being given the Freedom of Salford.

The true son of Salford and renowned artist has remained devoted to his Salford roots throughout his 66 year career, the prestigious award recognising that commitment and passion for his home city.

Riley sold his first painting to the City Art Gallery when he was 11 years old.

His extensive and wide-ranging work has portrayed the ordinary working lives of people of Salford and is an important record of the city’s social history.

He also developed an international reputation for sporting works and as a portraitist, commissioned to paint portraits of royalty, popes and presidents.

Salford City Mayor Paul Dennett said: “No-one epitomises the Spirit of Salford or has been a truer friend to the city than Harold. This award is our way of saying thank you to him for his unceasing support for Salford, his legendary generosity towards local, national and international good causes and for documenting the changing face of our great city. He has truly kept Salford on the international art map.

“Harold has won global recognition for commissioned portraits of princes, popes and presidents, including Nelson Mandela, Prince Phillip and John F Kennedy but he lives and works in Salford, keeping a solid connection with his roots. He remains fiercely proud of the city and we are in return, honouring him.

“During his incredible career he has documented the city of Salford, its people and even its dogs in paintings, drawings and photographs, calling it ‘his main work’ and used his artistic talent to give back to his community and others time and time again.

“Nelson Mandela paid Harold Riley the honour of sitting for a portrait which sold for $1 million dollars, donated to fund schools in South Africa. Harold has also raised thousands upon thousands of pounds for local charities by donating artwork, including a collection of 500 paintings to Salford Royal hospital and sketches for Childline to auction at their annual ball.

“Salford has been blessed with two of Britain’s foremost artists of the 20th century – Harold Riley and L.S. Lowry who were friends for 30 years. Salford gave L.S. Lowry the freedom of the city in 1965 and we are proud now to do the same for Harold.”

Harold Riley was born in Salford in 1934 and was helped to sell his first painting by L.S. Lowry. The pair became lifelong friends.

After winning a scholarship to the Slade School of Fine Art in London and studying in Spain and Italy, Harold returned to Salford in 1960 and has remained here throughout his career. He has been Deputy Lieutenant of Greater Manchester since 1984.

Harold joined L.S. Lowry in documenting the changing face of Salford and its people in paintings, drawings and photographs – a project which eventually spanned 70 years. This important collection provides a unique perspective on Salford’s rich social history and the remarkable changes it has seen over that period.

Harold’s deep seated passion for Salford, its heritage and people has led him to endlessly promote the city throughout his life.

He has staged everything from intimate displays of his work to support Salford causes to international events such as the critically acclaimed Salford 80 photography exhibition in 1980. This featured 20 exhibitions throughout Salford and Manchester and was attended by Prince Phillip.

Harold also developed a strong reputation as a portrait painter of the rich and famous. His commissions include Prince Philip the Duke of Edinburgh, Prince Alexander of Yugoslavia, Princess Alice the Duchess of Gloucester, Pope John XIII, Pope Paul VI, Pope John Paul II and United States Presidents John F. Kennedy and Gerald Ford. He was also the only artist Nelson Mandela ever sat for.

His sporting works are also world-renowned, particularly of golf and football. Harold played for Manchester United as a junior before going to university.

Harold’s generosity is legendary and he has used his talent to support many local organisations and good causes.

In 2013, after a retrospective exhibition of his photography from 1943 to 2007 at The Lowry, Harold donated a photograph of an elderly woman in shawl and clogs walking on cobbles to the University of Salford. A print of that photograph was presented to the 5,000 students who graduated that year.

Many years ago Harold made two sketches of a baby lying happily in a suitcase as the family moved from their home in Salford. Harold donated the sketch to Childline; it sold for £25,000. Harold gave the other sketch to Nelson Mandela.

Harold had six lengthy sittings with Nelson Mandela over 18 months in Johannesburg and Cape Town. The portrait he created was unveiled in 2005 and raised more than $1m for South African children’s charities at auction in New York. Harold also sold 50 copies of a book of drawings he created to prepare for the portrait. Each book sold for £17,500 and Harold donated all the money to his Riley Educational Foundation set up look after his life’s work and promote art in the north west.

Harold has created a collection of 500 pieces featuring photographs, monographs, views of MediaCityUK, sporting images and portraits all with a strong Salford theme and gifted the entire collection to Salford Royal hospital. Copies of the work were then put on public display in corridors, wards and waiting rooms at the new Hope building.

In early 2017, Harold raised more than £50,000 for the NSPCC with a sketch of his wife drawn from his hospital bed while in intensive care at Salford Royal Hospital. The sketch raised £55,000 for the charity’s Childline service.

Salford City Council has created an archive and studio for Harold in a conservation area around the old fire station on the Crescent in Salford.