Drawing the Italian Renaissance
This exhibition at The Palace of Holyroodhouse, brings together a wide range of drawings from this revolutionary artistic period, including 45 drawings never exhibited in Scotland before.
About Drawing the Italian Renaissance
| 17th Oct 2025 to 1st Mar 2026 | |
| Sunday, Monday, Thursday, Friday and Saturday | |
|
The Palace of Holyroodhouse The Palace of Holyroodhouse Canongate, Edinburgh East EH8 8DX |
|
| Various - see event website for details | |
| Visit the event website here |
The Renaissance period saw a dramatic transformation in the way that artists worked, with a new-found appreciation for creativity pushing artistic boundaries. Drawing became central to this development, evolving from an essential tool of workshop practice to an exciting art form in its own right.
Exploring the diversity and accomplishment of drawing across Italy between 1450 and 1600, the exhibition will feature around 80 works by over 50 artists such as Leonardo da Vinci, Michelangelo, Raphael and Titian alongside lesser-known artists, all drawn from the Royal Collection, which holds one of the world’s greatest collections of Italian Renaissance drawings.
Image Credit: © Royal Collection Enterprises Limited 2025 | Royal Collection Trust.
Where possible we will update our listings to notify of cancelled, postponed and rescheduled events, however we STRONGLY ADVISE that you check with the venue/organiser in the first instance for updates.
All information (whether in text or photographs) is supplied in good faith but should not be relied upon as being a statement of representation or fact.GOT AN EVENT TO SHARE? It's free to post your events on What's On Edinburgh, click here to find out more!
Want to be the first to hear about what's happening in Edinburgh? Follow us on Facebook and join the What's On Scotland Group!Sponsored Links
Other Events at The Palace of Holyroodhouse
Beneath the Surface: King’s Gallery Short Talks
Join our team at the Palace of Holyroodhouse for weekly gallery talks as part of the exhibition Drawing the Italian Renaissance!
READ MORE
Family Drawing Workshop
Take inspiration from drawings in our latest exhibition Drawing the Italian Renaissance and join us for a special family drawing workshop.
READ MORE
Drawing the Italian Renaissance: Curator’s Introduction
Join exhibition curator Lauren Porter at The King's Gallery, Palace of Holyroodhouse as she discusses works from Drawing the Italian Renaissance!
READ MORE
Community Connections
Each month in the beautiful and historic Abbey Strand Centre, Community Connections will explore themes from across the Royal Collection and the history of the Palace of Holyroodhouse.
READ MOREKing’s Gallery: Guided Looking
Join Fiona Johnston, audio describer, at The King's Gallery in the Palace of Holyroodhouse, as she describes various images in the exhibition Drawing the Italian Renaissance.
READ MOREGuided Looking: An Artwork Audio Described
Join Fiona Johnston, audio describer, as she describes various artwork and objects from the Royal Collection at the Palace of Holyroodhouse!
READ MOREDrawing the Italian Renaissance: BSL Tour
Join our British Sign Language tour of the Drawing the Italian Renaissance exhibition at The King's Gallery, Edinburgh.
READ MORE
Royal Rhyme Time
Join the team at Palace of Holyroodhouse in the historic Abbey Strand Centre for their special Royal Rhyme Time sessions for toddlers!
READ MORE
Conservator Talk: Conserving the Campi Cartoon
Victoria Button, Royal Collection Trust’s Head of Paper Conservation, discusses her work in preparing drawings for presentation in Drawing The Italian Renaissance, on display at The King's Gallery.
READ MORE
Family Yoga: Early Years
Taking inspiration from Drawing the Italian Renaissance join us for a fun family yoga session full of movement, music, songs and stories. Suitable for children 16 months to 4 years old.
READ MORE
Drawing The Palace
Discover how the Palace of Holyroodhouse looked in the past and how it has been redesigned various times on this family-friendly sketching trail!
READ MORE
Storytelling: Inspired by drawings
Join storyteller Claire McNicol as she explores tales inspired by drawings of the Italian Renaissance in an exciting interactive storytelling session.
READ MORE
Curatorial Talk: The Patrons of the Renaissance
Join Martin Clayton, Head of Prints and Drawings at Royal Collection Trust, for this lunchtime lecture as he discusses the vital role of patrons in the creation of Italian Renaissance art.
READ MORE
Palace Page Turners
Many authors have been inspired to pick up their pen to write about the Palace of Holyroodhouse... the Palace Page Turners sessions explore these literary works followed by a hearty discussion!
READ MORE
The Edwardians: Age of Elegance
The Edwardians: Age of Elegance explores the glitzy world of two of Britain's most fashionable royal couples – King Edward VII and Queen Alexandra, and King George V and Queen Mary!
READ MORESponsored Links
Similar events you might like...
Small Paintings
Small Paintings, now in its 12th year, features over 500 small, original paintings from some of Scotland's most notable contemporary artists. Catch it at Morningside Gallery from 17th January!
READ MORE
King’s Gallery: Guided Looking
Join Fiona Johnston, audio describer, at The King's Gallery in the Palace of Holyroodhouse, as she describes various images in the exhibition Drawing the Italian Renaissance.
READ MORE
Guided Looking: An Artwork Audio Described
Join Fiona Johnston, audio describer, as she describes various artwork and objects from the Royal Collection at the Palace of Holyroodhouse!
READ MORE
Drawing the Italian Renaissance: BSL Tour
Join our British Sign Language tour of the Drawing the Italian Renaissance exhibition at The King's Gallery, Edinburgh.
READ MORE
The Edinburgh Wedding Exhibition
Are you planning your wedding in Scotland and looking for the best Edinburgh wedding suppliers? Then come along to The Edinburgh Wedding Exhibition, one of the largest wedding shows in Scotland!
READ MORE
Time & Motion Studies - Exhibition by Nick Devison
Nick Devison uses printmaking as a medium for exploring ideas, solving problems and creating new visual connections. Don't miss his exhibition, Time & Motion Studies, at Upright Gallery.
READ MORE
CATALYST: Art as Activism - All Day, Waiting For Another Sun to Rise
Within this show at Summerhall, Molly Wickett reimagines a post-apocalyptic landscape through a queer and disabled lens.
READ MORE
CATALYST: Art as Activism - Any Body Home
Any Body Home features works developed during the Hugo Burge Foundation x Summerhall residency Art as Activism (2024), along with other pieces exploring related themes.
READ MORE
CATALYST: Art as Activism - A Heart in Exile
A Heart in Exile brings together three bodies of work that trace the inner landscape of migration; its fractures, its expansions, and its quiet, unresolvable tensions.
READ MOREFind other events in Edinburgh
Sponsored Links