Exhibition: RSA 200 Polar Portraits

February 2026 – January 2027

Included in museum admission

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In 2026, the Royal Scottish Academy, one of the oldest and most prestigious cultural institutions in Scotland, marks its 200th anniversary. Celebrations for #RSA200 are nationwide and involve hundreds of artists, partners, galleries and institutions across the country, in Scotland as well as across the UK. It is set to be the widest reaching project of its type in the UK with over 100 museums, galleries, and other cultural partners coming together to celebrate with their own events, major exhibitions, performances, talks and collection rehangs.

The project is designed to bring partners and communities together to celebrate the cultural history, presence and influence of the RSA and its Academicians across Scotland. Projects and activities stretch across the whole of 2026 and we are delighted to be a partnering organisation for this momentous celebration.

We are proud to be displaying two remarkable Polar portraits from our Collections for this celebration of art; Robert Falcon Scott and Roald Amundsen, by Scottish artist Calum Colvin. You can see the Polar pair together at Discovery Point in our Inspiration Gallery, until 2027. The display is included as part of standard museum admission.

On initial sight, the portraits appear to be paintings. However, as Colvin explains in this interview, they are complex photographs, using the centuries-old technique of trompe l’oeil; an optical illusion. See what details you spot as you peer into the huts of these two great explorers.