EDINBURGH.- The National Galleries of Scotland opens Dance, a vibrant exhibition which explores this fascinating theme through some of the most famous artworks in the national collection. Dance contrasts fourteen works of art of the very highest quality made in different periods, styles and media selected from both the National Gallery of Scotland and the Scottish National Gallery of Modern Art, as well as the ARTIST ROOMS collection jointly owned by the National Galleries of Scotland and Tate. This refreshingly different approach allows the visitor to discover the richness of a subject which has inspired artists since ancient times.

Highlights from this exhibition include two beautiful nineteenth-century studies of classical ballet dancers by Edgar Degas, a dynamic painting of high-kicking ‘Tiller girls’ by Walter Sickert (1938-39), an exuberant late-1950s linocut by Pablo Picasso and a captivating moving sculpture La Jalousie II [Blind Jealousy II], 1961, by the Swiss artist Jean Tinguely. The depth and breadth of the art work included demonstrates the continued prominence of dancing in society both as a professional and amateur activity. Three recent acquisitions are also included: a charming genre scene by the Scottish artist Alexander Carse (c.1770-1843), The Penny Wedding, 1819; and two arresting photographs by Diane Arbus from the ARTIST ROOMS collection.

Tricia Allerston, Head of Education, says: ‘Dance is a fantastic theme for an exhibition and we are sure that a very broad range of our visitors will enjoy it. We were amazed to discover how many artworks in the National Galleries of Scotland’s collection were inspired by the theme of dance and had a really tough time narrowing them down.’