Royal Collection Trust has announced an artist residency in collaboration with Edinburgh College of Art (ECA) at The University of Edinburgh for the upcoming major exhibition Drawing the Italian Renaissance at The King’s Gallery, Palace of Holyroodhouse.
Artists Phoebe Leach and Dette Allmark, both ECA alumni, will be responding to the masterpieces on display and drawing in the Gallery throughout the exhibition’s run, with their creations forming a changing display for visitors.
The residency, which is the first at The King’s Gallery in Edinburgh, has been organised in partnership with ECA, a leading international art school within The University of Edinburgh that traces its history back to 1760.
Drawing the Italian Renaissance, which opens on 17 October 2025, will be the widest ranging exhibition of Italian Renaissance drawings in Scotland for over 50 years. Works by Leonardo da Vinci, Michelangelo, and Titian are among more than 80 works on display, with 45 drawings going on show in Scotland for the first time.
Phoebe said, “It’s a real privilege to have the opportunity to be a part of this residency so early in my career, just a year after graduating. I’m looking forward to spending time with the works in the exhibition – studying the techniques of the Old Masters to refine my own technical drawing skills, while also creating contemporary interpretations in response. Most of all, I’m excited to record the activity of visitors and their interaction with the exhibition to create live response drawings in the Gallery space.”
Dette said, “The characters and worlds created by the Renaissance artists not only capture beauty, ignite awe and tell stories but also allow us to see that these artists scrutinised their world, the imagined world and its characters to understand more about themselves, humanity and spirituality. I draw to make sense of my experiences, and I hope the visitors will be inspired to revisit what it is to play with a pencil, lay their judgement aside and conjure up a visual world that is uniquely theirs.”
Highlights of the exhibition’s accompanying programme of events include a Gallery Late with music, crafts, and drop-in talks, and family workshops which will explore the exhibition through yoga, storytelling, and drawing. The two artists in residence will take part in family and community group events, while also on select days offering drop-in support, advice and discussion on drawing in the Gallery.
Visitor information and tickets for The King’s Gallery, Palace of Holyroodhouse can be found at www.rct.uk.
