Ray Harryhausen exhibition reopens National Galleries of Scotland

The phased reopening of the National Galleries of Scotland will begin next month.

And it will start with the Scottish National Gallery of Modern Art (Modern Two) and its exhibition Ray Harryhausen: Titan of Cinema.

Measures to ensure the health and safety of visitors and employees will be in place, including one-way routes around each gallery and reduced capacities. This will enable people to be reassured during their visit while enjoying very personal encounters with their much-loved artworks. NGS has also secured the UK-wide industry standard We’re Good to Go accreditation.

Reopening on Monday 26 April, the Scottish National Gallery of Modern Art (Modern Two) will welcome visitors back to experience the landmark exhibition, Ray Harryhausen: Titan of Cinema. Originally due to close in September 2021, the show has been extended to 20 February 2022 to allow as many people as possible to experience this thrilling and immersive exhibition. The Gallery will be open seven days a week.

The Scottish National Portrait Gallery will reopen on Friday 30 April with The Modern Portrait exhibition on show for the first time since March 2020. Some of the most recognisable portraits from the national collection will be on display, featuring stars such as Billy Connolly, Annie Lennox and Doddie Weir.

Visitors will also be able to enjoy the artworks on the ground floor, including the magnificent Great Hall and the ambulatory on the first floor. The Gallery will be open seven days a week.

The Scottish National Gallery will reopen on Thursday 6 May with seven Impressionist and Post-Impressionist paintings newly moved to the ground floor to make these incredibly popular works accessible to visitors.

They include Olive Trees by Vincent van Gogh, Haystacks by Claude Monet and Vision of the Sermon by Paul Gauguin. Visitors will also be able to reconnect with other masterpieces such as Diego Velázquez’s An Old Woman Cooking Eggs, Sir Edwin Landseer’s iconic Monarch of the Glen and Sir Henry Raeburn’s Reverend Robert Walker (1755 – 1808), famously known as the Skating Minister. The Gallery will initially open for three days a week (Thursday, Friday and Saturday).

The National Galleries of Scotland (Photo: Emilia Ciliento / Shutterstock)

The Scottish National Gallery of Modern Art (Modern One) will reopen on Sunday 16 May with a new display celebrating the life and work of the artist Joan Eardley in the centenary year of her birth. Visitors will also be able to see the best of international modern art, including a major display devoted to its world-class collection of Surrealist art, including works by artists such as Dalí, Tanning, Magritte, Giacometti and Picasso. The Gallery will initially open for three days a week (Sunday, Monday and Tuesday). Café Modern One and a pop-up café beside the entrance of Modern Two will also be open.

The outdoor sculpture trails, the grounds and car parks at Modern One and Two have been open throughout and will continue to be open. Visitors can become avid art explorers by taking part in our free, newly-developed Walk, Talk, Make sculpture trails, aimed at all ages. Highlights from the trail include the stunning Landform (2001) by the late Charles Jencks, with its undulating hills and calming lake, Tracey Emin’s Roman Standard (2005) and the first figure of the six that constitute Antony Gormley’s much-loved 6 TIMES (2010), a series of sculptures beginning at Modern One and which are sited along the picturesque Water of Leith.

Sir John Leighton, director general of the National Galleries of Scotland said: ‘In what has been a challenging time for everyone, we know that visitors are keen to get back into our Galleries and reconnect with the art they love. We are delighted that we can now share our reopening dates so people can begin to plan their visits.

‘Whether that’s to experience the incredible legacy of cinematic pioneer Ray Harryhausen or to enjoy spending time with their favourite works from the permanent collection, we look forward to welcoming people back in the weeks ahead.’

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