Edinburgh Festival 1994: Art

Monet to Matisse: Landscape Painting in France 1874-1914 (National Gallery of Scotland, 031-556 8921, Thurs-23 Oct). Not just another Impressionist exhibition. Perhaps surprisingly, French landscape as a separate genre has never been thoroughly surveyed. This show starts with well-known landscapes (such as Notre Dame and the Eiffel Tower), then widens its scope to consider the nature of French country life and the semi-mystical pastoralism practised by artists such as Gauguin and the Fauve group. A lot of rare pictures borrowed from all over the world and some fresh insights from such familiar artists as Cezanne, Bonnard and Picasso.

William Gillies (Scottish National Gallery of Modern Art, 031-556 8921, to 25 Sept). The best Scottish watercolourist of the 20th century. Gillies knew plenty about Expressionism, Cubism and so on but the real influence on his work was simply the changing nature of his native landscape.

The Romantic Spirit in German Art 1790-1990 (Royal Scottish Academy, 031-225 2383, and Fruitmarket Gallery, 031-225 2383, to 7 Sept). Monster survey of the Germanic inspiration. Later works are at the Fruitmarket, including Joseph Beuys's huge installation, End of the Twentieth Century, which will take up the whole of the ground floor. The show transfers to London's Hayward Gallery in the autumn.

Visions of the Ottoman Empire (Scottish National Portrait Gallery, 031-556 8921, 16 Aug-6 Nov). Western attitudes to the civilisation built after the Ottoman Turks conquered Constantinople in 1453. Byronic works by Delacroix are extra special, William Holman Hunt and David Wilkie less remarkable. The exhibition incorporates a special photographic section. Tim Hilton