The Real Face Of Burns

Robert Burns Birthplace Museum

Murdoch's Lone, Alloway

0844 493 2601

www.burnsmuseum.org.uk

Until June 14

I've always been intrigued by the famous Alexander Nasmyth portrait of Robert Burns. Painted by his good friend, it appears on all the biscuit tins and tea-towels of the day, but somehow always seems a bit too smooth for my liking.

Apparently, Burns himself believed that a miniature executed by Alexander Reid, an unknown artist from Dumfries, offered the best likeness. This tiny painting shows a slightly jowly poet with a fine head of hair and a playful yet direct gaze looking off to the side. It's definitely less matinee idol and more matey drinking-companion, albeit one with an eye for the ladies.

From today, this painting of Burns goes on show at the Robert Burns Birthplace Museum in Alloway, alongside several other likenesses of Burns, including a life-sized model of the poet's head, reconstructed by forensic scientists from the University of Dundee. To make the head, academics used Burns's skull, as well as the few existing portraits and a silhouette from his lifetime.

Several invited artists are contributing to this multimedia exhibition, including Graham Fagen, who is representing Scotland in this year's Venice Biennale, and David Mach, as well as two recent graduates, Rosie Dahlstrom and Shannon Laing. A poster boy Burns comes from John Cake and Darren Neave, who work collaboratively as the Little Artists. They have created a Lego Robbie Burns figure (£75) and a digital print of Lego Robbie Burns (£18). With his natty green blouson and embroidered waistcoat, he looks the business. I think Burns would have approved.

20th Century: Masterpieces Of Scottish And European Art

Scottish National Gallery of Modern Art (Modern One)

75 Belford Road, Edinburgh

0131 624 6200

www.nationalgalleries.org

From today

Now that the nationwide look-back to the last 25 years of contemporary art in Scotland that was Generation has ended, the space it occupied at the Scottish National Gallery of Modern Art has been transformed yet again with a major rehang of masterpieces from its permanent collection. The display includes four works by William Turnbull which were recently acquired by the National Galleries of Scotland through the Henry and Sula Walton Fund, with support from the Art Fund.

20th Century: Masterpieces Of Scottish And European Art explores the role artists played in adapting and responding to events which took place during one of the most rapidly evolving and tumultuous century in history. Demonstrating links between artistic communities across the UK and mainland Europe, the display traces major developments in 20th-century art, from Expressionism and Cubism, to Abstraction and Pop Art. Expect to see some of the best of modern Scottish art (including JD Fergusson, Samuel Peploe, FCB Cadell, Margaret Macdonald and Steven Campbell) placed alongside the work of modern European masters (such as Pablo Picasso and Oskar Kokoschka) in an effort to examine the importance of international and local contexts.

There is also a memorial display celebrating the work of Dundee-born sculptor, painter and printmaker William Turnbull, who died in 2012 at the age of 90. Turnbull spent a number of years in Paris, where he met some of the century's greatest artists, including Fernand Léger, Alberto Giacometti and Constantin Brancusi. On show for the first time in the gallery are 23 newly acquired works on paper - ink, watercolour and chalk drawings - which have been presented by the artist's family through the Art Fund.

Jan Patience