Collections

New Acquisitions

The National Galleries of Scotland care for, preserve, research and present the artworks in the national collection to the broadest possible public. Another essential activity is to continue to acquire artworks that enhance and complement our collection. These can come to us by many different means; including purchases, gifts, loans and bequests. This collection presents some of the works acquired in recent years, for you to discover.
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Highlights

There are about 120,000 objects in Scotland's collection of world class art, all yours to discover. We have selected just a few of these to give you a sense of the breadth and quality of the art in our care. These highlights are the works you won’t want to miss. They range from major works by Titian, Rembrandt and Vermeer to Monet and Van Gogh and from Picasso, Hockney and Warhol through to Bridget Riley, Peter Doig and Alberta Whittle.
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Surrealism

Surrealism was one of the most radical art movements of the 20th century. It sought to challenge conventions through the exploration of the subconscious mind, invoking the power of dreams and elements of chance. Scotland’s world-class collection of Surrealism includes works by Leonora Carrington, Salvador Dalí, Max Ernst, Joan Miró, René Magritte, Toyen and Alberto Giacometti.
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Contemporary Art in Scotland

GENERATION was a national exhibition programme in 2014, dedicated to showcasing some of the most interesting and significant art to have emerged from Scotland in the previous 25 years. Not limited to a specific style or genre, GENERATION celebrated the diversity and range of practice that have helped to create the vibrant Scottish contemporary art scene. The highlights from this collection include works by numerous Turner Prize Winners and nominees along with many other artists of international renown.
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Photography highlights

Your national collection contains over 55,000 works with a focus on historic photography and another on our ever-growing contemporary photography holdings. We aim to illuminate the art of photography with particular relation to Scotland. In this collection you can explore highlights by photographers including Julia Margaret Cameron, Thomas Annan, Eve Arnold, Lee Miller, Paul Strand and the pioneers of Scottish photography – David Octavius Hill and Robert Adamson.
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ARTIST ROOMS

ARTIST ROOMS is an inspirational collection of modern and contemporary art acquired for the nation by the National Galleries of Scotland and Tate through the d’Offay Donation. A touring programme enables this collection to reach and inspire new audiences across the UK, particularly young people.
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The MacKinnon Collection

This vast collection of Scottish photography is shared by the National Galleries of Scotland and the National Library of Scotland. More than 16,000 images were bought in the special collaboration with support from the Scottish Government, the National Lottery and Art Fund. The photographs were compiled by collector Murray MacKinnon and represent Scottish life and identity from the 1840s through the 1940s – a century of dramatic transformation and innovation.
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Hill & Adamson

Scotland's national collection includes the world's largest collection of photographs by David Octavius Hill and Robert Adamson. Discover the work of these innovative pioneers of mid-nineteenth century photography in these thematic collections.
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Scottish Art

Your national collection of Scottish art is the most comprehensive of its kind in the world. Our definition of Scottish art is broad, and embraces artworks and artists with a varied range of associations with this country – from the artist’s heritage to the subject of the work. In this collection, you can explore a selection of highlights from our collection of Scottish art.
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JMW Turner - The Vaughan Bequest

In 1900, the art collector Henry Vaughan gave 38 watercolours by Joseph Mallord William Turner to Scotland’s national collection. These works were only to be exhibited to the public every year in the month of January, which has helped to preserve their spectacular colour and vibrancy.
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