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The Modern Portrait

Scottish National Portrait Gallery

Open daily, 10am-5pm

Admission free

The Modern Portrait display will be partially closed then closed between Monday 30 May and Friday 3 June. Find out more.

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This display collates some of the most recognisable modern and contemporary portraits from the national collection.

This rich survey of paintings, sculpture and works in other media features figures from science, politics, the arts, business and sport - it is a cross-section of well-known Scottish faces, including Billy Connolly, Alan Cumming, Tilda Swinton, Annie Lennox, Joan Eardley, Robert Colquhoun, Sir Chris Hoy and Naomi Mitchison.

Event highlights

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Display highlights

Three Oncologists (Professor RJ Steele, Professor Sir Alfred Cuschieri and Professor Sir David P Lane of the Department of Surgery and Molecular... Ken Currie
The Citizens (Robert David MacDonald, 1929 - 2004; Philip Prowse, b. 1937; Giles Havergal, b. 1938) Adrian Wiszniewski
Naomi (Lady) Mitchison, 1897 - 1999. Author Percy Wyndham Lewis
Barbara Rae RA, born 1943 Geoff Squire
Poets' Pub Alexander Moffat
Alan Cumming, b.1965. Actor Christian Hook
Joan Eardley, 1921 - 1963. Artist Joan Eardley
Unknown Man Ken Currie
Ewen Bremner Julian George
Sir James Black, 1924 - 2010. Pharmacologist George Devlin
Robert Colquhoun, 1914 - 1962. Artist (Self-portrait) Robert Colquhoun
Horse McDonald, b.1958. Singer-songwriter Roxana Halls
Tilda Swinton, b. 1960. Actress Donald Maclellan
Billy Connolly, b. 1942. Entertainer John Bellany
The Kelvingrove Eight: Janice Galloway, Alasdair Gray, Tom Leonard, Bernard MacLaverty, Liz Lochhead, Alan Spence, Jeff Torrington, Agnes Owens Calum Colvin
Alan Cumming, b.1965. Actor Christian Hook
Event accessibility

Display accessibility

  • Large print labels
  • Wheelchair access

Location

Scottish National Portrait Gallery
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Accessibility

Gallery facilities

Detailed information on accessibility at the National Galleries of Scotland

Watch our BSL introduction to the gallery

  • Information desk
  • Wifi
  • Wheelchair access
  • Wheelchairs available
  • Lockers (£1/£2)
  • Baby changing facilities
  • Buggy park
  • Seating throughout
  • Bike rack
  • Accessible toilets for gallery visitors
  • Toilets for gallery visitors
Getting here

Getting here

Located in the city centre on Queen Street, the Scottish National Portrait Gallery is easy to access.

Venue map
Scottish National Portrait Gallery
  • Open daily, 10am-5pm
1 Queen Street, Edinburgh, EH2 1JD

Related events

Related events

Gallery Social (dementia-friendly) Live in-gallery | The Modern Portrait
Course or workshop SOLD OUT

Gallery Social (dementia-friendly) Live in-gallery | The Modern Portrait

Scottish National Portrait Gallery

Fri 27 May 2022

10:30am - 12 noon

Free

booking essential

More info
Related Products

Related products

100 Masterpieces National Galleries of Scotland Collection (paperback)

£24.95

Scottish National Portrait Gallery guide (paperback)

£12.99
Audio Guide

Audio Guide

Our audio guide will guide you through the Scottish National Portrait Gallery. You’ll hear from a variety of artists, authors, academics, curators and commentators. They’ll offer unique insights into the different forms that portraits can take and tell you remarkable stories about figures from Scotland’s past and the individuals who are shaping its present and future. 

 

Audio guide features

 

  • Expert commentaries on artwork highlights from the Portrait Gallery.
  • Audio and images providing in-depth information.
  • A Self-guided tour for exploring the Gallery

 

Some artworks in the Modern Portrait display may not be on display between 30 May and 3 June 2022.

 

Price: £5 (available from the information desk)

Find out more
Our Friends

Our Friends

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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