We’ve selected a few key objects from our collections for you to explore. These are the highlights of the National Gallery of Scotland.
William McTaggart
The Storm1890On Display | NATIONAL GALLERY OF SCOTLAND
McTaggart's energetic brush work and bold colour convey the power of the thunderous sky, lashing wind and turbulent sea. Man's vulnerability and courageous struggle in relation to natural forces are suggested through the tiny fishing vessel at sea and the launching of a rescue boat from the shore. Anxious families wait in the foreground. The figures are fully integrated into the landscape which was worked up in McTaggart's studio, but based on a smaller version painted out of doors at Carradale in Kintyre in 1883. Andrew Carnegie, the industrialist and philanthropist, bought the painting which was later presented to the gallery by his widow.
Glossary [1] Show
Philanthropy
A concern for human welfare, often evident in activities such as charitable aid and donations.
- Accession no. NG 1834
- Medium Oil on canvas
- Size 122.00 x 183.00 cm
- Credit Presented by Mrs Andrew Carnegie 1935
William McTaggart (Scottish, 1835 - 1910)
McTaggart's land and seascapes reflect his fascination with nature and man's relationship with it. His bold colours and vigorous brushwork find parallels in Impressionist painting, although essentially form part of a distinct Scottish tradition. They also echo qualities in paintings by Constable and Turner, whom he admired. McTaggart was born on the Mull of Kintyre and returned there frequently from his studio in Glasgow and later from his home in Broomieknow, just outside Edinburgh. He trained in Edinburgh at the Trustees' Academy and enjoyed early success when elected as an Associate of the Royal Scottish Academy aged twenty-four.
Glossary [3] Show
Impressionism
An influential style of painting that originated in France in the 1870s with artists such as Claude Monet, Pierre-August Renoir and Alfred Sisley. They were interested in capturing the changing effects of light, frequently exploring this through landscape scenes painted in the open air.
Royal Scottish Academy
The Royal Scottish Academy (RSA) was formed in Edinburgh in 1826 by Scottish artists who felt alienated by what they perceived as the elitism of the Royal Institution and its management of contemporary art exhibitions. In 1835, the RSA secured exhibition rights in the Royal Institution building, which had been erected on The Mound by the Board of Manufactures in 1826. The RSA and the Board frequently argued over responsibilities for advanced art education. From 1859, the RSA shared the premises of the new National Gallery of Scotland under the Board’s custody. In 1910, after transferring most of its art collections to the Gallery, the RSA gained exclusive tenancy of the former Royal Institution building, where it continues to hold large-scale annual exhibitions.
Trustees' Academy
The Trustees’ Academy was founded in Edinburgh in 1760 by the Board of Trustees for the Improvement of Fisheries and Manufactures in Scotland. This was the earliest publicly funded art school in Britain, but during the early years it was essentially an elementary drawing school dedicated to applied design. The students included practical craftsmen as well as fine artists. The school gradually developed more facilities for advanced fine art education, including a plaster cast collection. In 1826, it relocated to a new building on The Mound, which was erected by the Board. The Trustees’ Academy was reformed in 1858, using the well established government Schools of Design in London as its model, and was the direct ancestor of Edinburgh College of Art, established in 1907.