The writer and artist Alasdair Gray will remain in hospital for up to six weeks after breaking his back in a fall.

The 80-year-old painter and author was seriously hurt after falling into the basement well outside his flat in Glasgow's west end in the early hours of Thursday morning.

He was discovered by his neighbour, bank employee and photographer Marc de Ridder at around 2am.

As well as a broken back, the writer of Lanark and painter of a number of famous murals and portraits suffered and injuries to his legs and head. He is now in a serious but stable condition in the Royal Infirmary.

Gray has been visited by his younger sister Mora and his son Andrew, who lives in the US, is flying to Scotland.

It is understood Gray has been told it will take at least six weeks of care in hospital for his back to heal.

The artist, who was found in a "very bad condition", has been speaking, and is already talking about appointments he may miss and plans he has made for the coming week.

It is still unclear how Gray fell, and police are still investigating the incident.

A friend said: "His condition is pretty good news considering his age and his fall."

Meanwhile Scotland's artistic community has wished the artist a speedy recovery.

Gray's portrait features on one of the covers of this year's programme for the Edinburgh International Festival in a dramatic black and white shot by photographer Gavin Evans.

The festival is staging a new version of Gray's signature work, his lauded novel Lanark, at this year's festival in August.

The adaptation of his 1981 masterpiece is one of the key theatrical productions at this year's festival, directed by Graham Eatough and written for the stage by David Greig, and produced by the Citizen's Theatre of Glasgow.

A spokeswoman for the EIF said: "We were very sorry to hear about Alasdair's accident and are thinking of him.

"Fergus Linehan, artistic director, and everyone at the Edinburgh International Festival wish him all the best for a speedy recovery."

The Citizen's Theatre said in a statement on Twitter: "As we prepare to present his novel Lanark on the stage, our thoughts are with Alasdair Gray today."

Mr Gray's wife, Morag McAlpine, passed away last year.

Gray is widely considered to be one of Scotland's finest post-war painters and writers.

Gray has created a series of murals, including one on the ceiling of the Oran Mor pub and the Hillhead Underground station in his beloved west end of Glasgow.

He recently was the subject of a major retrospective of art at the Kelvingrove Art Gallery and Museum and currently has an exhibition of sixty years of his printmaking at the Hidden Lane Gallery in Glasgow.