National Galleries of Scotland

“Turner does more with a few splashes on a small piece of paper than most artists manage in oils on the biggest canvas. It’s thrilling to see these masterpieces preserved in Vaughan’s original frames.”
BBC Arts

Welcome in the New Year by visiting our annual display of watercolours by JMW Turner.

These works, bequeathed to the Galleries by the distinguished collector Henry Vaughan, span Turner's career, from his early topographical wash drawings to his atmospheric sketches of continental Europe in the 1830s and '40s. Vaughan stipulated in his bequest that these delicate watercolours should be 'exhibited to the public all at one time, free of charge, during the month of January', and his wishes have been faithfully adhered to for over 100 years.