EDINBURGH, SCOTLAND.- Attention is turning to the choice of a successor for the job of director-general of the National Galleries of Scotland, even though Sir Timothy Clifford still has almost two years to run before he leaves his post. Sir Timothy confirmed earlier this year that he plans to step down in early 2006, before he turns 60, after a career spanning 20 years. During this time he oversaw the purchase of a £10 million Botticelli and an £11.5 million Titian, the £25 million Playfair project, refurbishing and linking the National Gallery and the Royal Scottish Academy buildings. The hunt for a new director-general would be expected to start in earnest late this year. Sir Timothy is believed to have his own favored candidates. They are said to include John Leighton, director of the Van Gogh Museum in Amsterdam, who comes from Ireland and has a first-class degree in fine art from the University of Edinburgh, and Gabriele Finaldi, the Anglo-Italian deputy director of the Prado in Madrid, described as a Renaissance scholar-director of the old school. Almost certain to be considered is Sandy Nairne, the Anglo-Scot director of the National Portrait Gallery in London. The individual galleries’ own directors are also seen as candidates. Two examples are Michael Clarke, director of the National Gallery of Scotland, James Holloway, director of the Scottish National Portrait Gallery, and Richard Calvocoressi, director of the Scottish National Gallery of Modern Art.

The chief fear of the curating staff, meanwhile, is said to be that the gallery’s board of trustees will opt for a manager rather than a scholar. The Scottish Executive will have views on the choice, sparking concern about political pressure in favor of a candidate who speaks the language of social inclusion and cultural rights rather than fine art. "It could become a less desirable post if there was too much political intervention for anybody taking it up," said one gallery insider. The salary, prestige, and purchasing power that the galleries can offer will also play a major role in choosing a candidate. The job carries a salary of little over £60,000, half the going rate in London.