Turner exhibition opens on New Year’s Day

The Turner in January exhibition at National Galleries of Scotland opens to the public on 1 January from noon.

Featuring 38 watercolours by renowned artist Joseph Mallord William Turner, the free annual display will take pride of place in room 21 in National Galleries Scotland: National in Edinburgh from 1 – 31 January 2026.

Paying a visit to Turner in January is a tradition for many Scots. It signals the dawning of the New Year, and as we leave behind the darkest days of winter, the bright vitality of Turner’s work is exactly what we need. Scotland’s famous collection of Turnerwatercolours was left to the nation by the great art collector Henry Vaughan in 1900. Following Vaughan’s strict guidelines, they have only ever been displayed during the month of January, when natural light levels are at their lowest. Because of this, these watercolours still possess a freshness and an intensity of colour almost 200 years since they were originally created.

This mesmerising exhibition demonstrates the extraordinary range of Turner’s work inwatercolour, including atmospheric early drawings, experimental colour studies, spellbinding studies for prints and book illustrations and exhibition showstoppers. Born in London in 1775, Turner’s combination of exceptional talent, intellectual curiosity and relentless hard work resulted in watercolours which capture the sublime beauty of nature and encourage us to look again at the world around us. In a career spanning 50 years, he developed new ways of painting in watercolour and revolutionised ideas of what could be achieved in the medium. Experimenting with an array of techniques and colour, Turner created works which continue to captivate and excite audiences today.

Charlotte Topsfield, Senior Curator of British Drawings and Prints at National Galleries of Scotland said: “After a year of celebrations for Turner’s 250th birthday and the huge excitement of the exchange with the National Gallery of Ireland in January 2025, we are so pleased to be showing Scotland’s Vaughan Turners and honouring Henry Vaughan’s bequest once again. We hope visitors will enjoy seeing familiar friends and find new inspiration in Turner’s glorious colour and light.”

Turner in January has been gratefully supported by the players of the People’s Postcode Lottery and the Postcode Culture Trust. Turner in January is a free National Galleries of Scotland exhibition opening to the public at 12pm on Thursday 1 January 2026.