Angle of the Portico of the Ducal Palace, Venice - with carving of 'The Judgment of Solomon'

National Galleries of Scotland looks after one of the world's finest collections of Western art ranging from the Middle Ages to the present day. These holdings include the National Collection of Scottish art which we are proud to display in an international context. Scotland’s privileged position in the history of modernity lends it a rich photographic tradition. From the beginnings of the medium small groups of scientists and gentlemen amateurs explored its technical and artistic potential. One such group formed around the optical scientist, Sir David Brewster, at St. Andrews, and professional studios – including the partnership of Robert Adamson and David Octavius Hill – were established in Edinburgh from 1843. From the mid 1850s, technological change helped drive a dramatic expansion of photography, with large commercial operations established by the Valentine family in Dundee and George Washington Wilson in Aberdeen.

Carlo Naya was born in 1816 in Tronzano Vercellese, a small town in northern Italy. He began his career as a photographer in the early 1850s when he opened a studio in Venice. He quickly gained a reputation for his skilful use of the new medium of photography and his ability to capture the beauty and charm of Venice. Naya's photographs of Venice were highly sought after by tourists and collectors, and he became one of the most successful photographers of his time. He was best known for his large-format albumen prints, which were highly detailed and had a rich tonal range. Naya's photographs of Venice captured the city's unique architecture, canals and bridges, as well as its people and daily life. He also photographed other cities in Italy, including Florence, Rome and Naples, as well as other European cities such as Paris and Vienna. Naya's work was exhibited at international exhibitions, including the Exposition Universelle in Paris in 1867 and the World Exhibition in Vienna in 1873. His photographs were also published in books and magazines, and he received numerous prizes and honours for his work. Carlo Naya died in Venice in 1882, but his legacy lives on through his beautiful and evocative photographs of one of the world's most enchanting cities.