The Fine Art Society, one of Scotland's oldest commercial galleries, is celebrating its 150th anniversary with a landmark exhibition opening June 13 and running through August 31 at its original Edinburgh location on Dundas Street. The show spans the gallery's entire history, featuring works from Victorian masters to contemporary artists, including early etchings by James McNeill Whistler, a rare landscape by Pre-Raphaelite painter John Brett, and pieces by historically overlooked artists such as Clare Atwood, Phyllis Bone, Anne Redpath, and Ishbel Myerscough. Decorative arts are represented by a Gothic Revival table by Augustus Pugin, a tapestry by Gerald Laing, and a textile by Edmund Dulac, while the exhibition closes with Philip Eglin's ceramic vessel 'Rosso' (2024), shortlisted for the Loewe Foundation Craft Prize.
The exhibition matters because it not only marks a rare commercial gallery milestone—150 years of continuous operation—but also demonstrates a deliberate curatorial effort to rediscover and elevate artists whose contributions have been marginalized, including women, queer figures, and Scottish sculptors. By juxtaposing Victorian genre paintings, Pre-Raphaelite landscapes, and Arts and Crafts objects with contemporary works, the show underscores the gallery's role as a bridge between historical scholarship and contemporary practice. Managing Director Emily Walsh frames the exhibition as a microcosm of the gallery's journey through changing artistic movements, emphasizing resilience and the enduring ecosystem of artists, collectors, and conservators that sustain the art world.