Exhibitions
Events/Talks/Lectures
Communities
Group Tours of Foto: Modernity in Central Europe
Free introductory tours of Foto during June and July for community groups. Book in advance.
more- 1st June to 30th July 2008
- By arrangement.
Special Events
The Impressionist Studio
Come and be an artist for the afternoon in the Impressionist Studio. Try the different activities available each day, with help from our friendly artists. Dress up for a café scene; pick and mix objects to create your own still life; paint from a moving landscape; model and draw from tiny figures. Children under 12 must be accompanied by an adult. All sessions are drop-in so numbers may be limited. If we are busy just come back later!
more- 19th July to 16th August 2008
- 2-4.30pm each day
Children & Families
Summer School Week 1
A Summer School exploring the impact of photography on painting, led by artists Andrew Mackenzie and Luke Watson. The course is for young people who love to look at, discuss and make art. We will explore the summer exhibitions: Impressionism and Scotland, Vanity Fair Portraits, Foto: Modernity and 20th-century paintings at the Gallery of Modern Art, and create our own artwork, making of use of the education facilities and the green spaces around the galleries. By the end of the course participants should have lots of sketches, a CD of their photographs and an oil painting. All materials will be provided.
more- 21st to 25th July 2008
- 10am-4pm
Talks & Lectures
The Glasgow Boys
Scotland's own major contribution to Impressionism was the work of the Glasgow painters known then, and now, as the Glasgow 'Boys'. Centred around Guthrie, Lavery, Walton, Macgregor and Paterson, these painters were at the forefront of the acceptance of Naturalism and Realism in British painting. Roger Billcliffe, art historian and Director of the Roger Billcliffe Gallery in Glasgow, discusses how their painting transformed art in Scotland and questioned the dominance of the establishment academies and societies which were reluctant to admit them to their walls.
more- Friday, 25th July 2008
- 12.45-1.30pm
Special Events
National Gallery Highlights July Tour
An introduction and tour of the National Gallery's permanent collection, focusing on key paintings. Meet at the main entrance of the National Gallery on The Mound.
more- Saturday, 26th July 2008
- 2-2.45pm & 3-3.45pm
Communities
Signed tour of Impressionism and Scotland for people who are Deaf
Free tour given by Mary Kilpatrick and interpreted into British Sign Language by Mary Dunlop. Please book by Friday 25 July.
more- Sunday, 27th July 2008
- 11am-12noon
Special Events
Foto Film Screening: Heave Ho! (Rated PG)
This is a screening from the Modernity and Tradition film season supporting Foto. This screening will take place at Filmhouse Cinema Edinburgh. Heave Ho!, 1934, Czech with subtitles.Avant-garde concepts and burlesque comedy merge in a film crafted by the famous and popular Czech theatrical duo Voskovec and Werich (V+W). In Heave Ho!, their signature slapstick humor is fused with antifascist and anticapitalist propaganda.
more- Monday, 28th July 2008
- 6–8pm
Talks & Lectures
Modernization of Life Through Art
Michal Bregant, Dean of the Film and Television School of the Academy of Performing Arts, Prague, illuminates the role of film in the first Czechoslovak Republic. Sponsored by The Czech Centre, London.
more- Tuesday, 29th July 2008
- 12.45-1.30pm
Outreach
Parallel Lives 2 - Artist in Residence Gavin Lockhart
As part of the Outreach Project, Parallel Lives 2, video artist Gavin Lockhart will be in residence at Out of the Blue on selected dates in July. He is using Broodthaer’s Visual Tower, to provoke responses regarding issues of identity, surveillance and consumerism from people of all ages and abilities. He is helping participants to creatively project their ideas and opinions, eventually producing hundreds of short films that are reflective of the community. The films will be programmed into a tower of 100 rotating ipods, giving the viewer an experience ‘much like watching 100 Youtubes all at once. He will also be out and about in Leith on these days.
more- 29th to 31st July 2008
- Tuesday & Wednesday 1-5pm, Thursday: 10am-1pm
Talks & Lectures
Collecting Photographs for the Nation
Sara Stevenson, Chief Curator of Photography at the National Galleries, talks about acquisitions to the National Photography Collection in the last seven years, some of which are on view in the Kaleidoscope exhibition, including work by Captain Alfred Buckham, Mari Mahr and Catriona Grant.
more- Wednesday, 30th July 2008
- 12.45-1.30pm
Communities
Impressionism and Scotland for the Visually Impaired
Descriptive tour and practical workshop led by Juliana Capes & Jennie Temple.
more- Wednesday, 30th July 2008
- 10am-3.30pm
Special Events
Foto Film Screening: The Blue Angel (Rated PG)
This is a screening from the Modernity and Tradition film season supporting Foto. This screening will take place at Filmhouse Cinema Edinburgh. The Blue Angel, 1930, German with subtitles.Marlene Dietrich in her first iconic role as a femme fatale plays a sensual singer at the café Blue Angel. Based on Heinrich Mann's novel Professor Unrat, the opposing values of the protagonists also become a critique of modern lifestyles.
more- Wednesday, 30th July 2008
- 6–8pm
Special Events
Portrait of the Month for August
Meet one of the many faces in the Portrait Gallery's collection in these monthly talks focusing on a different portrait each month.
more- Saturday, 2nd August 2008
- 11-11.30am & 12-12.30pm
Talks & Lectures
Tracey Emin in Conversation with Patrick Elliott
Tracey Emin, whose retrospective exhibition opens at the Gallery of Modern Art on 2nd August, will be in conversation with the exhibition’s curator, Patrick Elliott. Emin is not only one of Britain’s most celebrated artists, but she is also one of the most articulate and passionate commentators on art today. SOLD OUT
more- Sunday, 3rd August 2008
- 2.30-3.30pm
Children & Families
Art Cart in August
Art activities for all the family inspired each month by different works from the collection. Supported by Friends of the National Galleries of Scotland.
more- Sunday, 3rd August 2008
- 2-4pm
Talks & Lectures
The Paper Treasures at the Gallery of Modern Art
Fiona Pearson, Senior Curator at the Gallery of Modern Art, presents a survey of the highlights of the Prints and Drawings Collection at the Belford Road site, which includes almost fifty years of purchases, gifts and bequests. A selection of the latest acquisitions are currently on show in the Kaleidoscope exhibition.
more- Monday, 4th August 2008
- 12.45-1.30pm
Children & Families
Summer School Week 2
A Summer School exploring the impact of photography on painting, led by artists Andrew Mackenzie and Luke Watson. The course is for young people who love to look at, discuss and make art. We will explore the summer exhibitions: Impressionism and Scotland, Vanity Fair Portraits, Foto: Modernity and 20th-century paintings at the Gallery of Modern Art, and create our own artwork, making of use of the education facilities and the green spaces around the galleries. By the end of the course participants should have lots of sketches, a CD of their photographs and an oil painting. All materials will be provided.
more- 4th to 8th August 2008
- 10am-4pm
Talks & Lectures
Magazine Covers - From a Publisher's Perspective
What makes a great cover? David McMurray, a magazine publisher and Visiting Lecturer at Napier University, discusses magazines and their front covers from their use of design and cover lines to how celebrities are used to help sell them.
more- Tuesday, 5th August 2008
- 12.45-1.30pm
Special Events
Live Music Now: Gary Innes and Ewan Robertson
Scottish music with a French flavour performed by Gary Innes on accordion and Ewan Robertson, winner of BBC Scotland's Young Traditional Musician of the Year 2008, on guitar and vocals. In association with Live Music Now Scotland.
more- Thursday, 7th August 2008
- 6-6.30pm
Special Events
Impressionism: Revenge of the Nice (2004)
Weekly screenings of the acclaimed Channel 4 documentary written and presented by art critic, Matthew Collings, which reappraises Impressionism focusing on the work of Courbet, Manet, Monet and Cézanne. The documentary will be repeated in its entirety every Thursday from 7th August to 2nd October.
more- Thursday, 7th August 2008
- 11am-12.45pm
Talks & Lectures
Binge Drinking: Hookers and Hangovers in Degas and Toulouse-Lautrec
Concentrating on two paintings, Degas's L'Absinthe and Lautrec's A la Mie, Richard Thomson, Watson Gordon Professor of Fine Art at the University of Edinburgh, will compare two representations of Parisian low-life painted fifteen years apart. He will also contrast different attitudes to public morality in Britain and France at the fin-de-siécle.
more- Friday, 8th August 2008
- 12.45-1.15pm
Special Events
Gallery of Modern Art August Highlights Tour
A tour of the Gallery of Modern Art's permanent collection which spans the period from the 1890s to the present day.
more- Saturday, 9th August 2008
- 2.30-3.15pm & 3.30-4.15pm
Talks & Lectures
Artists and the Theatre
Claire Hudson of the Victoria & Albert Museum Theatre Collections talks about artists and the world of performance, drawing on works from the V&A's collections and from those exhibited in the National Galleries of Scotland's exhibition, Footlights.
more- Tuesday, 12th August 2008
- 12.45-1.30pm
Outreach
Parallel Lives 2 - Photobooth sessions
Working with photographer/artist Craig Maclean, the group 2 participants are conducting an in-depth investigation into the project’s themes.They are currently taking photographs and collecting images of the area from local residents to help form a digital landscape image of the area which represents as many individuals from the community as possible.If you live in West Edinburgh you can add your image of yourself or of the local community, by emailing us at parallellives2@nationalgalleries.org. Alternatively you can come to the photo-booth sessions at WHALE on the Tuesday 12 and Saturday 16 August from 11am – 4pm.
more- Tuesday, 12th August 2008
- 11am-4pm
Talks & Lectures
John Muir Wood: Curator's Talk
Duncan Forbes, Senior Curator at the Portrait Gallery, discusses the work of John Muir Wood and the origins of landscape photography in Scotland
more- Wednesday, 13th August 2008
- 12.45-1.15pm
Special Events
The Drawing Room in August
Explore different 'mark-making' processes in these monthly, experimental drawing sessions inspired by the modern collection, led by a contemporary artist.
more- Thursday, 14th August 2008
- 5.30-6.45pm
Special Events
Impressionism: Revenge of the Nice (2004)
Weekly screenings of the acclaimed Channel 4 documentary written and presented by art critic, Matthew Collings, which reappraises Impressionism focusing on the work of Courbet, Manet, Monet and Cézanne. The documentary will be repeated in its entirety every Thursday from 7th August to 2nd October.
more- Thursday, 14th August 2008
- 11am-12.45pm
Talks & Lectures
Ian Hamilton Finlay and Little Sparta
Three short illustrated talks by members of the Little Sparta Trust including Dr Patrick Eyres, editor of the New Arcadian Journal, Professor Duncan Macmillan, author of Scottish Art in the Twentieth Century and Jessie Sheeler, author of Little Sparta, the Garden of Ian Hamilton Finlay.
more- Thursday, 14th August 2008
- 5.30-6.30pm
Special Events
Mozart with Masterpieces I
Cappa Quartet with Zhou Yi perform Mozart’s String Quintet in C, and Mendelssohn among the National Gallery’s masterpieces. Includes complimentary glass of wine beforehand from 6pm plus free entry to the blockbuster exhibition Impressionism and Scotland. Supported by ROSL Arts.
more- Friday, 15th August 2008
- 7-8pm
Outreach
Parallel Lives 2 - Photobooth sessions
Working with photographer/artist Craig Maclean, the group 2 participants are conducting an in-depth investigation into the project’s themes.They are currently taking photographs and collecting images of the area from local residents to help form a digital landscape image of the area which represents as many individuals from the community as possible.If you live in West Edinburgh you can add your image of yourself or of the local community, by emailing us at parallellives2@nationalgalleries.org. Alternatively you can come to the photo-booth sessions at WHALE on the Tuesday 12 and Saturday 16 August from 11am – 4pm.
more- Saturday, 16th August 2008
- 11am-4pm
Children & Families
Bags of Art in August
Collect a bag of new activities from the Art Station at the top of the stairs to help your family explore the collection and create your own artwork. Supported by Friends of the National Galleries of Scotland.
more- Sunday, 17th August 2008
- 2-4pm
Talks & Lectures
Pride of Scotland: Envy of the World
The National Galleries of Scotland enjoys a world-wide reputation for the superb quality of its collections which cover a range of Scottish and International art from the thirteenth century to the present day. Against a background of stiff competition and rising prices in the art market, the Galleries continue to enrich these holdings with new additions. Director-General John Leighton surveys some important recent acqusitions and looks ahead to the future for Scotland's national collection of Fine Art.
more- Monday, 18th August 2008
- 12.45-1.30pm
Talks & Lectures
Ruskin Live: Architecture I
In 1853, the great art critic John Ruskin delivered four lectures at the Philosophical Institution in Queen Street, Edinburgh. His themes were Gothic Architecture versus Classical, Turner and the European Landscape tradition, and the group of young artists called The Pre-Raphaelites. His brilliant and controversial lectures have exerted their influence ever since. Following sell-out performances in 2006 and 2007, actor and art historian, Paul O’Keeffe, recreates all four of the Edinburgh Lectures. They will change the way you look at Art, Architecture, and the city of Edinburgh itself. Performances will take place over four days, each beginning at 2.30 pm. Monday 18 August: Architecture I (1hr 30 mins)Tuesday 19 August: Architecture II (1hr 15 mins)Thursday 21 August: Turner and his works (1hr 15 mins)Friday 22 August: Pre-Raphaelitism (1hr 15 mins)
more- Monday, 18th August 2008
- 2.30pm
Talks & Lectures
The Market for Impressionism
In 1892 Degas' painting L'Absinthe was sold for a mere 180 guineas at auction, with the public hissing as the hammer fell. A century later another Impressionist work, Renoir's Moulin de la Galette, sold at Sotheby's for $78 million, accompanied by enthusiastic applause. Philip Hook, director of Sotheby's Impressionist and Modern Art department, examines the story of the developing market for Impressionism, and how Impressionist paintings have today become a currency in their own right.
more- Tuesday, 19th August 2008
- 12.45-1.30pm
Talks & Lectures
Ruskin Live: Architecture II
In 1853, the great art critic John Ruskin delivered four lectures at the Philosophical Institution in Queen Street, Edinburgh. His themes were Gothic Architecture versus Classical, Turner and the European Landscape tradition, and the group of young artists called The Pre-Raphaelites. His brilliant and controversial lectures have exerted their influence ever since. Following sell-out performances in 2006 and 2007, actor and art historian, Paul O’Keeffe, recreates all four of the Edinburgh Lectures. They will change the way you look at Art, Architecture, and the city of Edinburgh itself. Performances will take place over four days, each beginning at 2.30 pm. Monday 18 August: Architecture I (1hr 30 mins)Tuesday 19 August: Architecture II (1hr 15 mins)Thursday 21 August: Turner and his works (1hr 15 mins)Friday 22 August: Pre-Raphaelitism (1hr 15 mins)
more- Tuesday, 19th August 2008
- 2.30pm
Special Events
Amadeus Duo
The second of two concerts by the Amadeus Duo performing JS Bach's Sonata No2 for flute and harp, C. Debussy's 2 Pieces, Three Scottish Traditional Pieces and J Ibert's Entr’acte.
more- Thursday, 21st August 2008
- 6-6.30pm
Special Events
Impressionism: Revenge of the Nice (2004)
Weekly screenings of the acclaimed Channel 4 documentary written and presented by art critic, Matthew Collings, which reappraises Impressionism focusing on the work of Courbet, Manet, Monet and Cézanne. The documentary will be repeated in its entirety every Thursday from 7th August to 2nd October.
more- Thursday, 21st August 2008
- 11am-12.45pm
Talks & Lectures
Ruskin Live: Turner and his works
In 1853, the great art critic John Ruskin delivered four lectures at the Philosophical Institution in Queen Street, Edinburgh. His themes were Gothic Architecture versus Classical, Turner and the European Landscape tradition, and the group of young artists called The Pre-Raphaelites. His brilliant and controversial lectures have exerted their influence ever since. Following sell-out performances in 2006 and 2007, actor and art historian, Paul O’Keeffe, recreates all four of the Edinburgh Lectures. They will change the way you look at Art, Architecture, and the city of Edinburgh itself. Performances will take place over four days, each beginning at 2.30 pm. Monday 18 August: Architecture I (1hr 30 mins)Tuesday 19 August: Architecture II (1hr 15 mins)Thursday 21 August: Turner and his works (1hr 15 mins)Friday 22 August: Pre-Raphaelitism (1hr 15 mins)
more- Thursday, 21st August 2008
- 2.30pm
Talks & Lectures
The Colourists in France
Elizabeth Cumming, independent art historian, explores the impact of French visual culture on the four artists known as the Scottish Colourists, and in turn how their art was viewed by fellow artists and critics.
more- Friday, 22nd August 2008
- 12.45-1.30pm
Special Events
Mozart with Masterpieces II
Brodowski Quartet with Ellen Deverall perform Mozart’s Clarinet Quintet and Quartet in d K421 among the National Gallery’s masterpieces. Includes complimentary glass of wine beforehand from 6pm plus free entry to the blockbuster exhibition Impressionism and Scotland. Supported by ROSL Arts.
more- Friday, 22nd August 2008
- 7-8pm
Talks & Lectures
Ruskin Live: Pre-Raphaelitism
In 1853, the great art critic John Ruskin delivered four lectures at the Philosophical Institution in Queen Street, Edinburgh. His themes were Gothic Architecture versus Classical, Turner and the European Landscape tradition, and the group of young artists called The Pre-Raphaelites. His brilliant and controversial lectures have exerted their influence ever since. Following sell-out performances in 2006 and 2007, actor and art historian, Paul O’Keeffe, recreates all four of the Edinburgh Lectures. They will change the way you look at Art, Architecture, and the city of Edinburgh itself. Performances will take place over four days, each beginning at 2.30 pm. Monday 18 August: Architecture I (1hr 30 mins)Tuesday 19 August: Architecture II (1hr 15 mins)Thursday 21 August: Turner and his works (1hr 15 mins)Friday 22 August: Pre-Raphaelitism (1hr 15 mins)
more- Friday, 22nd August 2008
- 2.30pm
Talks & Lectures
Tour of Foto (3)
Join Rachel Adams for an introductory tour of the exhibition which will be suitable for people who speak English as a Second Language.
more- Sunday, 24th August 2008
- 11am-12noon