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The Scottish National Gallery has announced it will take part in the sporting celebrations in Scotland this summer with an exhibition dedicated to ‘The Art of Golf’.

Opening on July 12 in Edinburgh, and running until October 26, the exhibition explores golf as a subject of fascination for artists from the 17th century to the present day, with a particular emphasis on the emergence of the sport in Scotland.

The exhibition will bring together around 60 paintings and photographs, as well as a selection of historic golfing equipment.

Charles Lees, The Golfers

The centrepiece of the show will be ‘The Golfers’, the famous 1847 painting by Charles Lee (1800-1880). This commemorates a match played on the Old Course at the Royal and Ancient Golf Club, St Andrews, by Sir David Baird and Sir Ralph Anstruther, against Major Hugh Lyon Playfair and John Campbell of Saddell.

It represents a veritable ‘who’s who’ of Scottish golf at that time and was famously reproduced in a fine engraving, which sold in great quantities.

“This show is designed to be fun and to bring together two publics, lovers of art and lovers of golf.”

There will be a section devoted to Sir John Lavery (1846-1951) and his beautiful 1920s paintings of the golf course at North Berwick. Splendid railway posters from the inter-War years as well as contemporary photographs by Patricia Macdonald and Glyn Satterly will bring the exhibition at the National Gallery up to the present day.

Michael Clarke, director of the Scottish National Gallery, said: “This show is designed to be fun and to bring together two publics, lovers of art and lovers of golf.

“Where better to do this than in this world-class gallery, with its great Old master and Scottish paintings, situated in Scotland’s beautiful capital city of Edinburgh, and through which so many golfers pass on their way to our internationally renowned courses.”

Some of the art work to be displayed at the National Gallery

Visit the National Gallery

See this magnificent exhibition for yourself at the Scottish National Gallery in Edinburgh with prices set at £8 for adults. For more information or to buy tickets, visit nationalgalleries.org

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