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Unmasked: Exploring Scottish Portraiture

Featuring examples of painting, drawing, sculpture, printmaking and photography, the exhibition at City Art Centre spans almost 400 years of artistic production.

Unmasked: Exploring Scottish Portraiture

About Unmasked: Exploring Scottish Portraiture

13th Sep 2025 to 31st May 2026
City Art Centre
2 Market Street, Edinburgh Old Town EH1 1DE
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Portraiture is an age-old artform with a seemingly simple purpose: to record the likeness of a human subject. Yet the enduring appeal of portraiture lies in its complexity. Behind every portrait is a series of stories – interwoven narratives about the sitter, the artist, and the circumstances that brought them together.

Unmasked: Exploring Scottish Portraiture examines this genre in depth, with a selection of highlights from the City Art Centre’s permanent collection. Featuring examples of painting, drawing, sculpture, printmaking and photography, the exhibition spans almost 400 years of artistic production, from historic portraits by George Jamesone to contemporary works by Sekai Machache. Unmasked shares new research findings from the collection and reveals several recent acquisitions, on display for the first time.

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