The National Galleries of Scotland
Other names: Formerly known as the 'Board of Trustees for Fisheries, Manufactures and Improvements in Scotland)
Foundation date: 1850
Active: 1859 -
Function: Art gallery and museum
History or description: The foundation stone of the National Gallery of Scotland was laid in 1850. It opened to the public in 1859 and housed Scotland's national art collection. The Scottish National Portrait Gallery was founded by John Ritchie Findlay (1824-1898), of 'The Scotsman' newspaper, in 1882 and opened in 1889. With the National Galleries of Scotland act 1906, the two galleries were joined under one director and overseen by a Board of Trustees, appointed by and reporting to the Secretary of State for Scotland.
The National Galleries of Scotland also comprises the following Edinburgh based galleries: the Scottish National Gallery of Modern Art, the Dean Gallery and the Royal Scottish Academy Building. Duff House, Banffshire and Paxton House, Berwickshire are partner galleries of the National Galleries of Scotland. With the Scotland Act 1998 overall responsibility for the National Galleries of Scotland was transferred from the Scottish Office to the Scottish Executive.
Activities: exhibitions (open to non-members), lectures on art
Publications: annual reports, books, exhibition catalogues, illustrated exhibition catalogues, illustrated guide, illustrated souvenirs, leaflets, pamphlets, postcards, reports
Works
Dates are usually the year a work was exhibited so may differ from date of production.
New entries have been made each time a work was exhibited due to a lack of evidence about the state, medium or edition shown.
Lent Robert Scott Lauder, RSA
1916
Lent Pasquccia, a Roman contadina
1916
Lent D. O. Hill, Esq., RSA, late Secretary of the RSA
1916
Own Young Romilly
1993
Accession number: NG 2571. Purchased in
Locations
Address The Mound Princes Street Edinburgh | View on map
1856
The National Gallery occupied the west side of the building and the RSA the East side. Although designed to operate as separate units, the galleries could be interconnected as required.
Institutional and Business Connections
Affiliated with Scottish National Portrait Gallery
1906 (Circa)
Publications
Contributed to Scottish Sculpture Archive Virtue and Vision: Sculpture and Scotland 1540-1990
1990
Citing this record
'The National Galleries of Scotland', Mapping the Practice and Profession of Sculpture in Britain and Ireland 1851-1951, University of Glasgow History of Art and HATII, online database 2011 [http://sculpture.gla.ac.uk/view/organization.php?id=msib6_1208871905, accessed 21 Mar 2023]
