1599

PG 1409

Lady Agnes and her six sisters, daughters of the 6th Earl of Morton, were known as 'the seven pearls of Lochleven', on account of their beauty. She was twenty-five when this portrait was painted and had been married for seven years to the Earl of Argyll, a powerful soldier and statesman. Her black dress is plain, but sets off the fine lace and massive quantities of gold, pearl and diamond jewellery. There is a particularly fine pendant pinned to her lace collar, and another on her red hair, which is swept up and padded into a heart-shaped halo.

• Material: Oil on canvas
• Size: 86.40 x 77.50 cm (framed 104.10 x 94.60 x 5.70 cm)
• National Galleries of Scotland

1787

PG 1063

This half-length portrait of Burns, framed within an oval, has become the most well-known and widely reproduced image of the famous Scottish poet. Nasmyth's painting, commissioned by the publisher William Creech, was to be engraved for a new edition of Burn's poems. He is shown fashionably dressed against a landscape, evoking his rural background in Alloway, Ayrshire. Burns and Nasmyth had become good friends, having been introduced to one another in Edinburgh by a mutual patron, Patrick Miller of Dalswinton. Nasmyth, pleased to have recorded Burns' likeness convincingly, decided to leave the painting in a slightly unfinished state.

• Material: Oil on canvas
• Size: 38.40 x 32.40 cm
• National Galleries of Scotland

about 1785

PG 622

After the defeat of the Jacobite forces at Culloden in 1746 and the prince’s subsequent flight to France, Charles repeatedly tried to rally French support for an invasion on English soil. Despite his father’s pleas, French support never materialised and the Young Pretender was eventually expelled. After years of moving around the continent, in 1774 Charles and his young wife Louisa settled in Florence. By this time he was depressed, abusive and suffering from drink-related ill health. Charles and Louisa separated in 1784, and that same year Charles legitimised his daughter Charlotte by his mistress, and recognised her as his heir. This portrait was painted in Rome during the last years of the sitter's life. At this time Hamilton also portrayed Charles’s daughter in a similar format.

• Material: Oil on canvas
• Size: 25.70 x 22.00 cm
• National Galleries of Scotland

about 1865

PG 962

This painting is one of three by Ballantyne of the artist Thomas Faed at work. It is part of a larger series of works that show artists in their studios, most of which were completed by 1864 with some later additions. In this painting, Faed’s easel is facing outwards so that the spectator can see the unfinished canvas of ‘The Mitherless Bairn’ – the orphan. This work was Faed's first great success, but it was exhibited at the Royal Scottish Academy in 1855, about a decade before Ballantyne painted his view of Faed’s studio. Thomas Faed was the youngest of three artist brothers. His narrative genre paintings were very popular in his lifetime and many were published as prints and were sold to a larger Victorian audience.

• Material: Oil on canvas
• Size: 63.50 x 76.20 cm
• National Galleries of Scotland

1925

PG 2992

The Flying Scotsman', Eric Liddell, won a gold medal in the men's 400 metres at the Paris Olympics in 1924. He had dropped out of the 100 metres, because as a fervent evangelical Christian he would not participate in the qualifying runs held on a Sunday. Liddell had been born to a Scottish missionary couple in China and this is where he returned in 1925 as a missionary teacher. In 1943, at the time of the Japanese invasion of China, he was interned and later died in a Japanese camp of a brain tumour. The 1981 film, Chariots of Fire, told the story of Liddell's athletic career.

• Material: Oil on canvas
• Size: 73.50 x 61.50 cm
• National Galleries of Scotland
• © Estate of Eileen Soper

1983

PG 2598

Born Elizabeth Bowes-Lyon, the youngest daughter of the 14th Earl of Strathmore, the Queen Mother was descended from Robert II of Scotland. She was born in England but spent part of every year at Glamis Castle in Angus during her childhood. In 1923 she married the Duke of York, who became George VI unexpectedly after his brother's abdication in 1936. The Queen Mother always enjoyed the affection of the British public and had a gift of manifesting genuine interest. This sensitive and dignified portrait was the first commissioned by the Scottish National Portrait Gallery to record important living Scots.

• Material: Oil on canvas
• Size: 49.70 x 50.30 cm
• National Galleries of Scotland
• © Avigdor Arikha

1996

PG 3044

Born in Govan, Glasgow, Alex Ferguson joined Queen's Park FC as an amateur in 1957. He went on to play professionally for Dunfermline, Rangers and Falkirk. His career as a manager was launched in 1974 first with East Stirling and then with Aberdeen. His success in Scotland earned him the position at Manchester United where the number of trophies his players have brought back to Old Trafford has broken all past records. In Mach's large-scale portrait, hundreds of red postcards (United's colour) showing James Bond and Pussy Galore course through an enormous photograph of Alex Ferguson. The making of the image, was, Mach said, 'ridiculously labour-intensive'.

• Material: Postcard and photograph collage
• Size: 181.00 x 181.00 cm (framed: 191.60 x 191.70 x 9.50 cm)
• National Galleries of Scotland
• © David Mach

2000

PG 3279

Dubbed by the press 'father of the nation', Donald Dewar reinstated the Scottish Parliament. He became First Minister in May 1999 and presided over the official opening in July that year. A private man, he had told journalists that his perfect Christmas would be spent alone 'with an oven-ready meal and a stack of books'. As if commenting on this vision, the sculptor, Archibald Forrest, has balanced Dewar's head on a pile of books. Mostly by Ruskin, they also make reference to Dewar's interest in art. He was particularly fond of the work of the Scottish Colourists.

• Material: Bronze
• Size: Height: 41.80 cm
• National Galleries of Scotland
• © The Artist

1988

PG 3116

Robbie Coltrane became well known in the early 1980s with the rise of television's alternative comedy scene. Coltrane was in the original production of 'The Slab Boys' and its sequel 'Cuttin' a Rug', which were written by Byrne. This portrait shows the actor in the character of Danny McGlone from Byrne's 'Tutti Frutti', for which Coltrane won his first nomination as best actor for a BAFTA award. The apple core he clutches represents the music business in which his character is involved, suggesting it is rotten to the core. He is now best known to an international audience as Hagrid, the kindly giant in the Harry Potter films.

• Material: Oil on board
• Size: 30.00 x 21.25 cm
• National Galleries of Scotland
• © John Byrne/www.bridgeman.co.uk