Image: National Gallery Of Scotland, Edinburgh
National Galleries of Scotland has launched a new film series, ‘Truth in Art’, beginning with ‘The Truth Behind The Monarch of the Glen’, a short film that examines one of Scotland’s best-known images. The film is presented as the first in a series that explores the stories behind iconic artworks and asks where truth lies within them.
According to the gallery’s announcement, the series is designed to look beyond familiar images and the assumptions that surround them. In the case of ‘The Truth Behind The Monarch of the Glen’, the focus is not only on the stag at the centre of the picture but also on the myths, migrations and historical realities that have shaped ideas of Scottish identity. The institution frames the film as an invitation to reconsider what the work means and how it has come to stand for Scotland in the public imagination.
The launch sits within a broader online film programme from National Galleries of Scotland, which the organisation describes as a library of short films covering different aspects of art. The email introducing the series says the gallery is using film to make its collections and research accessible to audiences who cannot visit in person or who simply want to watch at home. The materials also point to other ongoing strands of the gallery’s film output, including interviews, tours and artist features.
The new series is explicitly titled ‘Truth in Art’, and the gallery positions it as a space for questioning rather than simple explanation. In the first instalment, the institution says it is uncovering the story behind “one of Scotland’s most famous images,” while also asking viewers to think about how art can shape understanding of people, place and the past. The accompanying teaser asks, “What does ‘The Monarch of the Glen’ mean to you?”
The newsletter excerpt does not provide production credits, runtime or a detailed account of the film’s arguments, but it does make clear that the series will connect art history with wider cultural narratives. The phrase “myths, migrations, and historical realities” signals an approach that treats the painting as more than an isolated masterpiece, instead placing it within broader debates about representation and identity.
The announcement also situates ‘The Truth Behind The Monarch of the Glen’ among other short-form features available through the gallery’s online channels. Alongside the new series, National Galleries of Scotland highlights films on subjects ranging from internal gallery roles to Jann Haworth’s practice, as well as another instalment in ‘Truth in Art’ titled ‘What If Fantasy Tells the Truth?’, which is described as the second film in the series. The new opening film is available via the gallery’s YouTube channel and linked newsletter material from National Galleries of Scotland.
