Friends Preview: A Taste for Impressionism | Modern French Art from Millet to Matisse
Fri 29 Jul 2022
5:30 - 5:45pm
Free
+6 other sessions
Booking essential
30 July - 13 November 2022
Open daily, 10am-5pm
(Royal Scottish Academy)
The remarkable story of how Scotland became home to one of the world’s greatest collections of Impressionist and Post-Impressionist art will be explored in our big summer exhibition.
This exhibition will share fascinating stories about how visionary Scottish collectors invested in, what were then, innovative and radical artworks and reveals how they found their way into Scotland’s national collection.
World famous paintings by a stellar cast including Van Gogh, Degas and Gauguin will feature throughout, offering visitors a rare chance to delve into this little-known aspect of Scotland’s cultural history. Other highlights will include seven works by Claude Monet from across his career and, for the first time, the full set of Matisse’s vibrant Jazz prints.
Among the exhibition highlights will be several of our world-class holdings, such as Gauguin’s Vision of the Sermon and Degas’s Portrait of Diego Martelli, as well as pre-Impressionist masterpieces such as Pissarro’s The Marne at Chennevières. The fact that works of such renown and quality are held in Scotland is down to two chance factors—a series of progressive purchases by previous National Galleries of Scotland Directors in the first half of the twentieth century, and the generosity of benefactors such as Sir Alexander and Rosalind Maitland—both reflecting the enlightened state of Scottish taste in the inter-war period and beyond.
As the market for Impressionism began to thrive, a sinister side industry in ‘fakes’ took hold, culminating in two major scandals in the early 1930s around the forging of works by Millet and Van Gogh. In keeping with the true spirit of the age, A Taste for Impressionism will include some counterfeit works which will remain unidentified to test visitors’ powers of discernment.
A Taste for Impressionism will span the entire exhibition space of the Royal Scottish Academy building, charting how Impressionism emerged from the indulgence of the Romantic period to become a radical movement, through to the price-shattering auction phenomenon it is today.
Detailed information on accessibility at the National Galleries of Scotland
We are currently working on improving our galleries. During this time some rooms will be closed and some facilities will be temporarily removed. There will be limited disabled access to some areas.
The Scottish National Gallery can be found just off Princes Street in the city centre.
Admission is free for Friends, children under 12, and carers of visitors with disabilities, but we recommend that you book your ticket in advance to avoid disappointment.
Type of ticket | Monday-Friday (excluding August) | Saturday-Sunday (excluding August) | August (every day) |
---|---|---|---|
Full price | £12.00 | £14.00 | £15.00 |
Student | £10.00 | £12.00 | £13.00 |
Child 13 - 16 | £10.00 | £12.00 | £13.00 |
Friends | free | free | free |
Visitors aged over 60 | £10.00 | £12.00 | £13.00 |
Visitors with disabilities | £10.00 | £12.00 | £13.00 |
Unemployed/supported income | £10.00 | £12.00 | £13.00 |
Art Fund (full price) | £6.00 | £7.00 | £7.50 |
Art Fund (concession) | £5.00 | £6.00 | £6.50 |
Children 12 & under | free | free | free |
Carer of visitors with disabilities | free | free | free |
Friends of the Galleries get free unlimited entry to all exhibitions, and enjoy a wide range of exclusive benefits including early exhibition access, special events and 10% discount in our cafes.
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