Amazing Rare Things
The Art of Natural History in the Age of Discovery
The works in this exhibition have been selected, in collaboration with Sir David Attenborough, from five remarkable and diverse groups of natural history drawings and watercolours in the Royal Collection. They date from the late fifteenth century to the early eighteenth century, a period when European knowledge of the world’s flora and fauna was transformed by voyages of discovery to Africa, Asia and the Americas. Through painstaking examination and description, these artists (and one collector) hoped to comprehend the natural riches of an ever-expanding world.
There is a common denominator that links all these artists – the profound joy that all feel who observe the natural world with a sustained and devoted intensity.
Sir David Attenborough
Exhibition highlights
Alexander Marshal (c. 1620-82)
Tulips
Mark Catesby (1682-1749)
Nightjar and mole cricket
Maria Sibylla Merian (1647-1717)
Grape Vine with Gaudy Sphinx Moth
Leonardo da Vinci (Vinci 1452-Amboise 1519)
Star of Bethlehem (Ornithogalum umbellatum), wood anemone (Anemone nemorosa) and sun spurge (Euphorbia helioscopia)
Map & directions
By car
There is a public car park adjacent to the Palace at Broad Pavement. Please visit the Historic Environment Scotland website for more details.
Accessible parking spaces are located on Horse Wynd, just outside the Palace, on a first-come first-serve basis.
By train
Edinburgh Waverley. The Queen's Gallery is a 15 minute walk from the station.
By tram
The nearest tram stop is York Place. The Queen’s Gallery is a 20 minute walk from the station. Visit Edinburgh Trams for times and fares.
By coach / bus
Bus numbers 6 and 35 stop near the Gallery. Open-top tour buses stop nearby.
Limited free coach parking is available adjacent to the Palace. Alternative pay-and-display coach parking is available on nearby Regent Road.
By bike
A free-to-use public bicycle rack is located opposite the Scottish Parliament. Cycle hire stations are available nearby on both Holyrood Road and Abbeyhill, within a 5 minute walk of the Palace and The Queen’s Gallery. Visit Edinburgh Cycle Hire for details.
