8 things you need to know about The Burrell Collection

In the new issue of The Arts Society Magazine, editor Sue Herdman reveals the story of the Glasgow institution. Here is a taste of what she discovered

Exterior of the Burrell Collection, Glasgow © CSG CIC Glasgow Museums and Libraries Collections

1. The collection was amassed by Glasgow-born shipping magnate Sir William Burrell and his wife, Constance, who spent 75 years amassing over 9,000 artworks from across the globe.

2. Burrell began collecting art aged 15, when he bought a painting with the few shillings meant for a cricket bat. He kept records of his purchases in school exercise books. 

3. The most expensive work the Burrells ever bought was Frans Hals’ Portrait of a Gentleman, for which they paid £14,500 in 1948 (some £360,462 today).

4. One of the rarest items in the collection is the Wagner garden carpet, one of the earliest surviving Persian carpets in the world.

Wagner Garden Carpet, early 17th century © CSG CIC Glasgow Museums and Libraries Collections

5. The collection was originally displayed at their home, Hutton Castle in Berwickshire, until, in 1944, they donated it to the city of Glasgow. It is now housed in a purpose-built gallery in Pollok Country Park. 

6. The Burrell Collection first opened to the public in 1983 and was given A-listed status by Historic Scotland in 2013 as a prime example of 1970s architectural design. 

7. Now the Burrell has been the subject of a £68.25m renaissance project that has reimagined and modernised the collection’s presentation. The building’s environmental performance was dramatically improved, making this a greener museum.

8. The gallery space has increased by 35%, with 225 displays over 24 galleries giving room to show even more of the objects, and to tell the stories of their making and context alongside those of their remarkable collectors.

VISIT

The Burrell Collection, Pollok Country Park, Glasgow
burrellcollection.com