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Have a look at whats in store
this month with big Tom's adventures in the world of Art. |
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Burrell's aren't tiny mad hopping horses awkward around
children. Neither are they too small for the human eye and easily stood on.
So a get-together of these (probably much maligned) miniscule
creatures won't be called a Burrell Collection, which is a pity since I reckon
they'd be noticeably more interesting than the real thing.
Don't get me wrong, I'm not saying I didn't
enjoy the Burrell Collection, it's just that I didn't enjoy it as much as I
expected to. So to begin, the Burrell Collection is a gathering of some 9000
(count 'em, well actually you can't, they're never all out on display at once)
pieces of art amassed by one William Burrell (Sir), a wealthy chap born in 1861
and who died penniless in 1958.
Okay, so he didn't die
penniless I'm just trying to jazz this right up. Anyway, he started collecting
all this art when he was a teenager and by 1900 he was considered an important
and well-respected dealer. In art that is, although for all I know he might
have loved a big slice of opium on the side, with bread, and strong Earl Grey.
So how did all this stuff end up in a big park in Glasgow? Well he gifted the
whole lot to the city (of Glasgow, wake up at the back) in 1944, and it took
till 1967, when Lady Pollock gifted the Pollock Estate to Glasgow, to find a
place to house all that stuff. Lucky Glasgow I say.
Now, Pollock Park is a beautiful place and very easy to
reach.
The day I went along the
sun was shining, the birds were singing and I walked along a little path
between the trees to reach the gallery building.
The
collection is housed in an impressive purpose built structure, and the day I
arrived the surrounding area was matted in parents and children having a
smashing time in the sun. So far, so good. The building inside is also very
impressive and on entry you're faced with the Montron Arch (no, not a crippling
foot disease) which is literally embedded into the structure of the building,
performing the same function it had in the 12th century, very nice - Good Art.
The display areas are very open and well lit, with information cards beside all
the exhibits. It's a lovely place in fact, very peaceful; you do feel like
giving respect to the Art in a place like this.
The
free guide pamphlet is also well laid out and informative. The Art - there's
Ancient Egyptian, Greek and Roman stuff (cool), there are some paintings mainly
by Degas, Cezanne and Boudin (very nice), there's some lovely Gothic church
stuff and strange mock ups of period rooms (dull and frightening). So why did I
come away feeling let down. Well, it was The Art. I just found it bitty. Some
of the stuff is impressive, the massive wall tapestries in particular are well
worth a look.
Unfortunately, the Burrell Collection is
a jack of all trades, you can't really get into anything too deeply because
there isn't enough of it, I never once saw the phrase 'finest example of it's
kind' applied to any of the exhibits. It's a lovely space as I've said, but as
a Museum it lacks a little in oomph. Oh, and the food is rather on the
expensive side, though my apple pie and ice-cold cider were smashing. Go and
visit at least once is my recommendation, preferably on a nice summers day.
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