It’s a fairly assertive title: The Greats -Masterpieces of the National Galleries of Scotland. The assertiveness is justified; the galleries are based in Edinburgh, home of the Enlightenment and in the 19th century, centre of the most extensive free public education system in the world. It was only natural that significant art galleries would be established there for the pleasure and – more importantly – ‘improvement’ of the populace

The exhibition with this uncompromising title, to be at the Art Gallery of NSW from 24 October, is drawn from several galleries under that collective name: the Scottish National Gallery, the Portrait...