National Gallery of Scotland
The National Gallery of Scotland is located on The Mound, just off Princes Street, in the heart of historic Edinburgh. The history of the gallery dates back to 1819, when the Scottish Royal Institution was founded. Here you can admire some of the finest art in Scotland.
Gallery Guardians
Victorian artist James Drummond not only exhibited his paintings at the Scottish National Gallery, but also worked there from 1868 to 1877. James Drummond's dramatic painting Porteus Mob 1855 was exhibited when the Gallery first opened in 1859. Drummond was also appointed second chief curator of the gallery in 1868.
The only building
The building of the Scottish National Gallery originally housed two different organizations, each with a separate entrance. The east side was occupied by the Royal Scottish Academy from 1855 to 1910. The Scottish National Gallery itself had a western side. After the Royal Scottish Academy moved next door to the former building of the Royal Institution, the National Gallery was converted into a single gallery, which reopened in 1912.
Famous paintings
The collection of the National Gallery of Scotland covers Western art with a particular focus on Scottish work. Highlights include paintings by Constable, Botticelli, Cezanne, Van Dyck, Gainsborough, Rembrandt and Titian. In addition to this cursory list, the collection covers a huge number of disparate styles and time periods, from the Old Masters to the French Impressionists. One of the earliest works in the gallery is The Virgin and Child Enthroned or The Altar, a painted panel designed to create an altarpiece in churches. The painting was painted around 1418 by Lorenz of Monaco (Pierre di Giovanni).
Building of the Arts
Scottish art galleries occupy the lower level, while Italian Renaissance, Dutch and Flemish art occupy the ground floor. The top floor houses galleries of the Northern and Gothic Renaissance, French Impressionists and works from the 18th and 19th centuries. The museum is surrounded by some of the city's most famous landmarks, including Edinburgh Castle to the southwest, St Giles' Cathedral to the southeast, the Scott Monument to the northeast and the city's main shopping street, Princess Street to the north.
