PAST EVENT: This was part of the EAF25 programme.

Marking the 400-year anniversary of King James’s death, this exhibition at the National Galleries Scotland: Portrait charted his remarkable reign through stories of friendship, family, feuds and ambition.

Son of Mary, Queen of Scots and successor to Elizabeth I, King James (1566–1625) was the first monarch to rule over Scotland, England, Ireland and Wales. The exhibition drew on themes with contemporary relevance, including national identity, queer history, belief and spirituality, in an enriching journey through the complex life of a king who changed the shape of the United Kingdom. 

The exhibition included displays of over 140 objects, including ornate paintings, dazzling jewels, lavish designs and important loans from galleries across the UK, celebrating craft and visual art from the 16th and 17th centuries.