Offering a fresh approach to experience the story of Scottish art, the new Scottish galleries at Edinburgh’s rebranded National Galleries Of Scotland: National are now finally open. After a complex, seven-year construction project, which involved creating an accessible entrance via East Princes Street Gardens, the National boasts ten new light-filled rooms. Doubling the space previously available, 130 historically important works of art are on show in the new displays; and, in combination with the rest of the gallery, 460 artworks can now be enjoyed for free.

During construction, curators across National Galleries Of Scotland (NGS) sites joined forces to reconsider how the story of Scotland’s art should be presented. The art on the walls has been curated thematically, rather than chronologically, according to chief curator Dr Patricia Allerston. And the place of women artists in historic Scottish art has been a priority, she says. The ethereal drawings of Glasgow Style pioneer Margaret Macdonald Mackintosh, along with magnificently intricate scenes by Phoebe Anna Traquair are among the new displays. Additionally, Allerston points out that the redevelopment of the National has enabled innovative research and conservation projects which increase the profile of Scottish art ‘in the wider narrative of British art history’. This includes asserting the significance of William Bell Scott, ‘a much-neglected member of the Pre-Raphaelite group of artists’. 

At the National, ‘Scotland’s rich history pops off the walls…with many incredible stories to be discovered of the nation’s past,’ says NGS director-general John Leighton. He added that some acquisitions are on display for the first time ever and some works have been brought out of long-term storage. When asked which artwork captivates him the most, Leighton picks  a warming still life by Anne Redpath titled ‘The Indian Rug (Or Red Slippers)’. ‘At first glance, this will seem like an encounter with a popular and familiar artwork, a beautifully painted interior scene,’ he explains. ‘But what most people will not know is that there is another image, usually hidden out of sight on the back of the painting. This double-sided painting is now the first work welcoming visitors into the new galleries, with one side facing out and one facing in.’ 

Unique depictions of compelling Edinburgh characters on display emphasise the National’s place in the heart of Scotland’s capital, such as ‘Edinburgh Milkmaid With Butter Churn’ (about 1785–1795) by David Allan, one of the earliest known portraits of a Black woman by a Scottish artist. Part of a wider series of drawings of Edinburgh’s workers and city officials, this 18th-century watercolour portrait connects the city’s historic streets and vibrant cultural past with the present.

National Galleries Of Scotland: National, Edinburgh, nationalgalleries.org