The Monarch of the Glen

Edwin Landseer completed this iconic image in 1851, depicting a magnificent red deer stag against misty Highland mountains. The twelve-point royal stag stands alert, ears forward, breath visible in the cold air. Landseer, Queen Victoria's favorite animal painter, captured both the creature's physical presence and the romantic grandeur of the Scottish Highlands.

The painting was originally commissioned for the Houses of Parliament but rejected when funding fell through. It became enormously popular through reproductions, appearing on everything from whisky labels to biscuit tins. The National Galleries of Scotland acquired it in 2017 after a major public fundraising campaign, securing this symbol of Scotland for the nation.