The Royal Scottish Academy

Two-Year Refurbishment The National re-opened, following its 2-year refurbishment as part of the Playfair Project, with a viewing by invitation on the evening of Saturday 2 August 2003.  The view above shows the gallery on the evening of 2 August as the guests arrived and other tourists passed along Princes Street in front of the gallery.  Flames are flames burning on stands on the top step outside below the Monet banners  (some of the flames hidden by the columns).  The Gallery, with its exhibition of paintings by Monet, opened to the public three days later.

The Seine and the Sea The exhibition titled 'The Seine and the Sea' includes 77 Claude Monet paintings, together with works by other artists.  It has been compiled from works provided by galleries in 14 different countries. In its first week of opening, despite the charge of £8.50 per person, the exhibition attracted 19,000  visitors.  It is now expected to exceed its estimate of 100,000 visitors by the time the exhibition closes on 26 October 2003.