The Royal Scottish Academy of Art and Architecture has a wide-ranging collection of art and associated objects, archives and published material that have been acquired since the academy’s foundation in 1826. The accumulated material reflects both the life and work of the academy as an institution and its individual members as well as providing a broader view of Scottish art from c.1780 to the present day. The core element of the collections is the Diploma Collection, which comprises a single work by each full member of the academy which he or she must deposit as a representation of his or her genre. Coming directly from the artist, and requiring the approval of the rest of the full membership, the Diploma Collection maintains a direct link between artist and collection.

From modest beginnings the RSA collections have expanded to become an institution that is now recognised as being of National Significance for its presentation of a deep and intricate network of visual creativity in Scotland over the past two hundred years.

The Diploma Collection

On election from the status of Associate to Academician each Member is required to deposit an example of his/her work, be it painting, sculpture or architectural drawing. Once accepted by the Assembly it enters the Diploma Collection. The works currently in the collection represent most of the major names in Scottish painting, sculpture and architecture since the second quarter of the 19th century.

Deposits by Scholars

Students of painting, sculpture, architecture or printmaking who are in receipt of RSA Awards for further study, eg the John Kinross Award, are requested at the end of their period of study to deposit an item or items from their portfolios. This is a small category of the collections of the RSA and it largely consists of works on paper.

Gifts and Bequests: Paintings, Drawings and Prints

This collection comprises about 2000 works of art. It includes works by past and present Members, Associate Members and Honorary Members; works by other Scottish artists, whether working in Scotland or elsewhere; and works by non-Scottish artists who have, in some way, been connected with the RSA or its membership through its subject matter or its collection history.

Gifts and Bequests: Sculpture

This category comprises about 55 works, mostly Scottish of the 19th and 20th centuries, and mostly portrait busts of Members and Honorary Members of the Academy.

Gifts and Bequests: Architectural Drawings and Photographs

This category comprises less then 50 works, from the 19th and 20th centuries, and is illustrative of work by architects with connections with the Academy.

Gifts and Bequests: Applied Art

This collection covers ceramics, silver, furniture, textiles and glass. It comprises around 200 items mostly from the 19th and 20th centuries, and contains either the products of artists and craftsmen associated with the Academy, or else items received from the collections of deceased Members.

Gifts and Bequests: Memorabilia

This colection includes photographs, letters, newscuttings, artists' palettes, etc., which represent an archive of the history of the RSA as an institution or its Membership.

Purchases

This collection has been established as the result of endowment funds set up in the 19th century. It includes around 200 paintings, drawings, sculptures and prints. These are mostly the work of Scottish 20th century artists, although there are examples of work by non-Scots such as L S Lowry and Felix Topolski.