Study event discussion, recordings & links

"Nobody needs to go abroad to see so many French masterpieces. They are all here in one building in Edinburgh."The Observer "...a ravishing show"The Times The remarkable story of how Scotland became home to one of the world’s greatest collections of Impressionist and Post-Impressionist art is explored in our big summer exhibition. The exhibition also includes the incredible discovery of a lost Van Gogh portrait. The exhibition shares 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 feature throughout, offering visitors a rare chance to delve into this little-known aspect of Scotland’s cultural history. Other highlights include seven works by Claude Monet from across his career and, for the first time, the full set of Matisse’s vibrant Jazz prints. The most exciting highlight is perhaps the Van Gogh self-portrait. Our conservation team has discovered what is almost certainly a previously unknown self-portrait by Vincent van Gogh. Believed to be a first for a UK institution, the mysterious image was revealed by an x-ray taken when art conservators examined Van Gogh’s Head of a Peasant Woman of 1885 ahead of this exhibition. You will be able to see the amazing x-ray image for the first time through a specially crafted lightbox at the centre of the display. Watch our video about the discovery below or read more about it on our blog page.