In 1807, the Hunterian was the first museum in Britain with a gallery of paintings. Today, although most famous for its Whistler and Mackintosh collections, it has a wide range of outstanding works on show. See masterpieces by Rembrandt, Rubens, Chardin and Stubbs, and the world’s largest permanent display of the work of James McNeill Whistler. Examine the significant Scottish Colourist collection, or explore the distinctive style of the Glasgow Boys and Girls. Discover the largest single holding of the work of Charles Rennie Mackintosh and The Mackintosh House, the reassembled interiors from his Glasgow home.

Old Masters

The Gallery’s impressive collection of Old Masters is centred on the bequest of our founder, William Hunter. This includes three major paintings by Chardin, and important works by Rembrandt, Rubens, and George Stubbs. The holding of 18th century British portraits features fine works by Ramsay, Raeburn and Reynolds.

Whistler Collection

The Hunterian’s unrivalled Whistler collection includes paintings, pastels, drawings and watercolours, etchings and lithographs, as well as the artist’s personal collections of silver and oriental porcelain and a fascinating collection of his artist-materials. The permanent display presents the full range of his output as a painter, with intimate seascapes and studies of shop-fronts, as well as atmospheric Nocturnes and striking full-length portraits.

Scottish Art

Major examples of Scottish art from the 18th century to the present are on display. These include portraits by Ramsay and Raeburn, genre studies by Wilkie, impressionistic works by the Glasgow Boys, vivid landscapes, still-lives and figurative paintings by the Scottish Colourists, and paintings by leading 20th century artists and sculptors including Joan Eardley, Anne Redpath, Robin Philipson, Eduardo Paolozzi and William Turnbull.

Prints, Drawings and Watercolours

The Hunterian houses a major collection of works on paper. This includes the largest collection in Scotland of artists’ prints, ranging from the 15th century to the present day, with works by Durer, Rembrandt, Piranesi, Goya, Matisse and many others. The fine collection of drawings and watercolours is dominated by Whistler, in particular his pastel drawings, and by Mackintosh, whose full range of work is represented from flower drawings to architectural designs. Changing selections are displayed in the Gallery or may be viewed by appointment.

Gallery 2

Gallery 2 is home to a selection of changing temporary exhibitions from the Hunterian collections and touring exhibitions from other institutions.

Focus Space

The Gallery focus space features small changing exhibitions.

The Mackintosh House

The Hunterian Art Gallery houses one of the most important collections of the work of Scottish architect, designer and artist, Charles Rennie Mackintosh (1868-1928) and his artist-wife, Margaret Macdonald Mackintosh (1864-1933).

No visit to the Hunterian is complete without a visit to The Mackintosh House, the internationally renowned reassembled home of the Mackintoshes. The principal interiors of their Glasgow home have been meticulously reconstructed and furnished with the Mackintoshes’ own furniture – all to Mackintosh’s design – and decorated as closely as possible to the original. The interiors highlight Mackintosh’s distinctive style, remarkable then, and now, for the disciplined austerity of the furnishings and decoration.