Vital Scottish art showcase to double in size

A GALLERY that has been a vital showcase for Scottish art in London is to double its exhibition space in a major expansion.

• The Highland Clearances, Last of the Clan by Thomas Faed (1865)

The Fleming Collection of Scottish art, dubbed the "embassy of Scottish art in London", will open a new 125 square metre space at its Piccadilly gallery in June. It will showcase 50 classic Scottish works but charge admission for the first time.

The Fleming Collection, launched from the art collection built up by Flemings bank but run since 1990 by an independent foundation, opened the gallery space in 2002 and has about 100,000 visitors a year.

The collection gets no public financing, but two major donations have enabled it to take a five-year lease on the new space above its current gallery in Berkeley Street, London, at a cost of about 100,000.

"This development is an important step for us to undertake in our eleventh year," said Selina Skipwith, keeper of art at the collection.

"We will be able to have works from the permanent collection on show at all times, which we can't do at the moment."

The new space will allow the gallery to show works from its highly regarded permanent collection, including key pictures by the Scottish Colourists and the Glasgow Boys, alongside exhibitions of contemporary Scottish artists. It is the only museum in the UK entirely devoted to Scottish art.

Fifty works that will go on show when it opens to the public from 10 June include two iconic paintings - The Highland Clearances, Last of the Clan by Thomas Faed and Lochaber No More by John Watson Nicol.

Other works include Vase of Pink Roses by SJ Peploe, The Orange Chair by Anne Redpath, and Anstruther by William Gillies. Guy Peploe, director of the Scottish Gallery in Edinburgh, said the new gallery would guarantee that people could see the "crown jewels" of the Fleming Collection.

Mr Peploe added: "Historically London dealers have not taken a big interest in Scottish art but having had a quasi museum has meant a lot of people have taken Scottish art more seriously, seeing it in that context."

Several paintings from the Fleming Collection, including portraits by Sir Henry Raeburn and Sir David Wilkie, have recently gone on loan to Dumfries House in Ayrshire. The period stately home was saved for the nation by the Prince of Wales in a multi-million pound purchase to protect its furniture.

Three works by Dame Elizabeth Blackadder will be loaned to the National Galleries of Scotland this summer. Milestone shows at the Fleming Collection have included the Face of Scotland, a selection of the top works from the Scottish National Portrait Gallery, and it has showcased the art collections of the Hunterian Art Gallery in Glasgow and the MacManus Galleries in Dundee.