New Ramsay exhibition arrives with a fashionable Florish at Georgian House
A new National Trust for Scotland exhibition of portraits by Allan Ramsay (1713–1784) opens at the Georgian House in Edinburgh on 7th June.
Article Source: National Trust for Scotland
Last Updated: 6 June 2024 14:12
• Trust’s collection of portraits by Allan Ramsay brought together for the first time.
• Ramsay’s work used to explore the world of fashion in mid 1700s Edinburgh, with new research revealing where clothing and textile trades were located in the city
• Visitors have rare opportunity during first week of exhibition to see a live demonstration of the making of a replica 1760s gown featured in the artwork
A new National Trust for Scotland exhibition of portraits by Allan Ramsay (1713–1784), at the Georgian House in Edinburgh, decodes fashion in the 1700s and the crucial role it played for Edinburgh’s high society women during this period.
Ramsay and Edinburgh Fashion showcases the work one of the finest 18th-century painters of female portraits. The conservation charity brings together its fine collection of female portraits by Allan Ramsay for the first time, following a successful display of Sir Henry Raeburn’s work last year. Covering a 30-year period of Ramsay’s career, the exhibition illustrates his skill at capturing the clothing, accessories and popular trends of the time, while examining both the naturalistic style and imaginary elements found in his paintings.
Alongside the curated selection of portraits on display, this intimate exhibition also features a rare 18th-century dress, from Newhailes House near Musselburgh, cared for by the National Trust for Scotland. During the first week of the exhibition, Trust volunteers will recreate a replica of a 1760s gown, modelled from a garment worn by Katherine Ann Mure, who was painted by Ramsay in 1769 and features in the exhibition. This replica dress will be made in the drawing room at the Georgian House before going into the exhibition on 14 June.
Curating the exhibition is Dr Antonia Laurence Allen, a Regional Curator at the National Trust for Scotland, who said:
“We’re excited to welcome visitors to our new exhibition, Ramsay and Edinburgh Fashion, and showcase this prominent Scottish artist, while highlighting how his career was forged in Edinburgh with the help of his father and a growing fashion for portraiture. The portraits in this exhibition reveal Ramsay’s artistic skill and ability to capture real fashions with imaginary flourishes, in a way that epitomised the true likeness of his sitters while promoting their standing in Edinburgh society.
“Fashion and clothing played an important role in communicating subtle signs of one’s status during the mid-1700s. Being well dressed in silks, satins and linens elevated women in polite society and helped portray wealth and social standing. By capturing popular styles of dress, Ramsay promoted a sitter’s cultural sophistication and their progressive ideals of taste. This meant their portrait could help them confidently present a contemporary vision of themselves to their peers.
“The exhibition was designed to highlight the National Trust for Scotland’s magnificent Ramsay collection, which has never been brought together before. At the same time, we commissioned new research to map the trades dealing in textiles, clothing and accessories in Edinburgh. This has provided a rich picture of what it was like for a woman to leave her town home and engage with shopkeepers up and down the high street. We have plotted these locations on a 1742 map, collated adverts that detail how traders promoted their wares, and created a short film that imagines a lady’s journey buying cloth and accessories.
“Today’s shoppers are concerned with sustainable fashion and will find in this exhibition similar themes that were central to consumers in the 18th century. While milliners and tailors were busy altering gowns and jackets, drapers and merchants sold cloth, ribbons and lace to upcycle old ensembles. As well as showing the content in the exhibition, we wanted to demonstrate how dresses were made to measure and designed to be altered as fashions and a woman’s body changed. There was no ideal figure, but there was an ideal silhouette. To illustrate this, a group of volunteers are being led by dress historian Rebecca Olds to create a replica 1760s gown. Throughout the opening week of the exhibition (8-14 June), they will be stitching and constructing the dress in the drawing room at the Georgian House. We hope this might inspire visitors to re-use and recycle their own wardrobe. After the exhibition closes in late November, this dress will take on a new lease of life in the Trust’s 1766 draper’s shop, recreated at Gladstone’s Land on the Royal Mile.”
The Georgian House’s popular Wednesday evening lecture series also returns this summer for Ramsay and Edinburgh Fashion. It includes a range of stories about fashion traders and retailers, silk dresses and linen undergarments, global and domestic trade routes, and the women and men of Enlightenment Edinburgh.
The exhibition has also provided opportunities for remedial conservation of Ramsay’s paintings and their frames and for professional development for the charity’s Edinburgh collections care staff and volunteers.
Lesley Scott, Regional Conservator at the National Trust for Scotland, explains:
“This exhibition has supported our charity’s work to ensure our collections are stable and conserved, and Ramsay’s paintings and frames have offered opportunities to upskill our collections care teams through workshops and conservation in action at the Georgian House.
“It is thanks to the tremendous support from the specialist conservators we work with in Scotland that we have been able to achieve this, as they were willing to share their skills and experience to aid team development and understanding of how each item was made, to support each one’s longer-term care.
“This exhibition brings these mid 1700 portraits to new audiences, and I would encourage everyone to take the rare opportunity to see these collections to admire the artistry. And after the exhibition closes in November, we would very much encourage our members and supporters to see the portraits hanging in drawing rooms and dining rooms in their own homes, such as Hill of Tarvit in Cupar and House of the Binns near Linlithgow.”
Philip Long OBE, Chief Executive of the National Trust for Scotland, added:
“We’re delighted to bring together a selection of portraits by Allan Ramsay from across the National Trust for Scotland’s collections for the first time, and to invite our members, visitors and other supporters to experience the intimate exhibition and immerse themselves in the work of one of Scotland’s greatest artists and the period fashion of the time to gain a better understanding of its importance to society. I’m grateful for the continued generous support of National Trust for Scotland members and supporters, to allow us to continue our vital work to care for, protect and share Scotland’s rich cultural heritage now and for future generations to enjoy.”
Ramsay and Edinburgh Fashion opens on 7 June at Georgian House in Edinburgh and runs until 24 November 2024. The exhibition is included in admission to the Georgian House, which is free for National Trust for Scotland members. You can find out more about the exhibition, the Georgian House, and how to book for events at www.nts.org.uk/visit/places/georgian-house
Events like Ramsay and Edinburgh Fashion support the National Trust for Scotland’s vision to care for, share and protect Scotland’s natural and cultural heritage and contributes to its engagement objectives to provide access and enjoyment for everyone.
Sponsored Links
Latest Edinburgh News
Free outdoor cinema returns to Edinburgh this June with blockbuster weekend
Edinburgh’s much-loved free outdoor movie weekend, Square Cinema, returns this June, bringing three days of big-screen entertainment to the heart of the city.
READ MORE
Mindroom launches Thriving Workplaces: A Practical Guide to Neuroinclusion
Mindroom will launch ‘Thriving Workplaces: A Practical Guide to Neuroinclusion’ with a free-to-attend online event on Wednesday, May 14, from 10 to 11.30am.
READ MORE
Edinburgh Marriott Hotel Holyrood Makes Waves with Art and first floating Sound Therapy in Scotland
The Edinburgh Marriott Hotel Holyrood is making waves with the launch of two fresh experiences, inviting guests and locals to enjoy a world of creativity, culture, and wellbeing.
READ MORE
Lorraine Kelly meets the Loch Ness Monster Milker delivering Nessie Nectar across the UK
IRN-BRU XTRA has launched a custom milk float delivery service bringing limited-edition Nessie Nectar straight from the shores of Loch Ness to doors across the UK.
READ MORE
Edinburgh and the Lothians Best takes home Prestigious Prizes at the World Championship Scotch Pie Awards
Top butchers and bakeries in Edinburgh and the Lothians’ have claimed a variety of much sought-after prizes at the prestigious 2025 World Championship Scotch Pie Awards.
READ MORE
Edinburgh International Film Festival announces industry partnership with UNIFIED
Edinburgh International Film Festival and newly formed production outfit UNIFIED have today announced they are partnering on a special strand of events as part of the industry programme.
READ MORE
Safety and family time driving surge in adult swim lessons
Scottish adults are being encouraged to learn to swim this summer to boost water safety skills for the whole family.
READ MORE
Guide Dogs go for a walk on the wild side at Edinburgh Zoo
Two puppies in training to become guide dogs enjoyed a visit to Edinburgh Zoo as part of a new collaboration between Guide Dogs and the Royal Zoological Society of Scotland (RZSS).
READ MORE
Edinburgh International Festival Celebrates Record Breaking Youth Participation with 25 Years of Art of Listening Workshops
This year the Edinburgh International Festival’s flagship workshop Art of Listening celebrates 25 years of bringing live classical music to schoolchildren across Edinburgh.
READ MORE
New documentary tells the story of world record breaking Scottish brothers
A new documentary - now live on STV Player - tells the story of the Maclean Brothers and their self-confessed “piss poor” preparations the ocean adventure that lay ahead.
READ MORE
Rooftop vibes return to Edinburgh city centre
Skyline Sips, Edinburgh’s most exciting rooftop venue, is back for its third year at Level 5, St James Quarter.
READ MORE
A Landmark Year for The Royal Edinburgh Military Tattoo
The Royal Edinburgh Military Tattoo gives audiences an exclusive look behind the drawbridge of its landmark 75th Anniversary Show, The Heroes Who Made Us.
READ MORE
David Attenborough and Eurovision steal the spotlight at Vue venues in Scotland this month
Audiences are invited to travel the globe - both musically and visually - this May, as both David Attenborough and Eurovision head to the big screen at Vue venues across Scotland.
READ MORE
May and June at Virgin Hotels Edinburgh
From Music to Father's Day, discover Virgin Hotels Edinburgh's events taking place in May and June!
READ MORE
Here & Now showcase returns to the Edinburgh Festival Fringe
Here & Now returns to the Edinburgh Festival Fringe ith a brilliant programme of the best dance, installation, integrated performance, movement and theatre being created in England right now.
READ MORE
Edinburgh International Film Festival 2025 to open with acclaimed SORRY, BABY by Eva Victor
Edinburgh International Film Festival (EIFF) has today announced Eva Victor’s acclaimed comedy-drama SORRY, BABY will open the Festival in August.
READ MORE
The Royal Yacht Britannia Exhibition and Retail Experience are shipshape and ready to welcome visitors
2025 marks the next chapter in The Royal Yacht Britannia Trust’s legacy with the opening of a brand-new, world-class visitor centre with exhibition and retail experience.
READ MORE
Pavilion Festival rounds off biggest event yet with Happy Mondays and STREETrave Classical
Pavilion Festival has rounded off its biggest ever event with over 16,000 music fans enjoying three days of non-stop live music and feel good vibes on Ayr’s iconic Low Green.
READ MORE
Cold Town House in Edinburgh partners with Aperol to transform iconic rooftop bar
Cold Town House in the Grassmarket has teamed up with Italy’s iconic orange bittersweet aperitif, Aperol, to add some spritz to its city centre location from May until September.
READ MORE
Major new displays at National Galleries Scotland: Modern One this summer
Discover some of the biggest names in modern and contemporary art at Modern One this Summer with a series of free ARTIST ROOMS displays in Edinburgh from 12 July 2025.
READ MORE
Cineworld announces first ever 4DX Family Day
For one day only, families can experience Moana, Paddington, and Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone in immersive 4DX at all 34 Cineworld 4DX screens nationwide.
READ MORE
Giant Lanterns are back with a splash at Edinburgh Zoo!
For the first time in six years, Edinburgh Zoo is bringing its Giant Lanterns event back with a splash this winter.
READ MORE
Brand new show Something About Lennon opens UK tour this month with Scottish dates
Celebration of the iconic late Beatle's life and music will be performed at 26 venues nationwide.
READ MORE
Celebrate Fathers Day in Style with Dobbies Sunday Lunch and Planting Experience
This June, Dobbies Garden Centres is presenting a brand-new way to celebrate Father’s Day, combining a hearty Sunday roast with a hands-on grow-your-own herb planting workshop.
READ MORE
Blue Light Awards Scotland to honour emergency services heroes
Nominations for the Blue Light Awards Scotland, recognising the courage, commitment and community spirit of our Blue Light Services, are now open.
READ MORE
Funding awarded to seven projects for tree planting in cities and towns across Scotland
The Urban Forestry Programme is supporting projects in urban areas to help more people experience the benefits of trees.
READ MORE
Gilded Balloon announce 40th anniversary programming
One of the Edinburgh Festival Fringe’s most iconic venues, Gilded Balloon, has announced a huge roster of legendary names to celebrate its 40th anniversary this August.
READ MORE
Conifox Champions Allergy Inclusion for Families
Allergy Awareness in Action as Conifox Adventure Park sets a new standard for safe family days out.
READ MORE
Rory McIlroy Confirmed for Genesis Scottish Open
Newly-crowned Masters Tournament champion Rory McIlroy is set to compete for a second Genesis Scottish Open title!
READ MORE
Skerryvore castle concert capacity grows due to global demand
A special one-off event celebrating the 20th anniversary of beloved Scottish band Skerryvore is getting even bigger, organisers have announced.
READ MORESponsored Links
Sponsored Links