Burrell Collection Reviews (Glasgow, Scotland)

The Burrell Collection

Ayr, Scotland, United Kingdom

June 14, 2006

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Best of IgoUgo Sitting on the edge of Pollock Park with a prize herd of highland cattle grazing nearby sits a custom-built, ultramodern, building of pink sandstone and stainless steel. With walls of glass, which look onto woodlands, its circular concrete columns ...Read more Sitting on the edge of Pollock Park with a prize herd of highland cattle grazing nearby sits a custom-built, ultramodern, building of pink sandstone and stainless steel. With walls of glass, which look onto woodlands, its circular concrete columns complement the acres of wood in walls and ceilings. Encompassing open airy spaces and intimate areas of seclusion, it displays the eclectic Burrell Collection to its maximum advantage. The museum displays a rotating selection of around 3,000 of the 8,000 items at any one time.

The airy courtyard near the entrance is my favourite parts of the building. The Warwick Vase, a Roman marble urn once owned by the Emperor Hadrian, sits in the middle surrounded by sculptures including some by Rodin. On three sides of the courtyard are reproductions of some of the rooms in Burrell's house, Hutton Castle at Berwick-upon-Tweed, furnished in Gothic style. You can see a vast aggregation of furniture, textiles, ceramics, stained glass, silver, art objects, and pictures in the dining room, hall, and drawing room. Their cluttered fussy interiors contrast sharply with the modernity of the building containing them.

The art objects amassed in a lifetime by the Glasgow shipping magnate Sir William Burrell could warrant a full day of examination. The building itself uses some parts of the collection—stone doorways, such as the Hornby Portal, window surrounds and gargoyle type things—in the architecture of the building. Visitors pass through 12th century stone arches to find more delights on the other side. Old stained glass panels are suspended down one side of the gallery, hung on the glass panelled wall of the wood framed building so they can be viewed against the natural light of the green and gracious parkland outside.

Wander round the collections. There's everything from ancient Roman and Egyptian and Chinese ceramics, bronzes, and jade to Georgian porcelain. There's needlepoint and embroidery from Tudor to Victorian age, carpets, huge tapestries and suits of armour. There’s medieval art, alabasters, stained glass, English oak furniture and modern sculpture, including works by Epstein and Rodin. There’s European paintings, including works by Degas ‘The Rehearsal’ and Sir Henry Raeburn's ‘Miss Macartney’.

Sir William Burrell was a shipping magnate, and a collector. He collected art and museum pieces and catalogued the whole thing in school exercise books. He bequeathed the collection to the city of Glasgow in 1944 with the provision that they erect a building for it outside of the grime and soot of the city. It took Glasgow 30 years to decide where to put the building before deciding on Pollock Park.

There is a cafe on site, and you can roam through the surrounding park, 5km (3 miles) south of the River Clyde. You can get there via buses 45, 48, and 57 from Union Street.

This collection is a must see for visitors to the city. Whether its art, history or just a place to relax it is the place to go. Its free!
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From journal Glasgow City of Architecture and Culture

Burrell Collection

by artslover

Calgary, Alberta

May 17, 2006

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Best of IgoUgo The Burrell Collection was donated in 1944 by Sir William and Lady Constance Burrell. It consists of over 9,000 works from an array of periods and numbers of countries. When it was donated, the City of Glasgow wanted the collection to be housed in ...Read more The Burrell Collection was donated in 1944 by Sir William and Lady Constance Burrell. It consists of over 9,000 works from an array of periods and numbers of countries. When it was donated, the City of Glasgow wanted the collection to be housed in one building to show the works of art to their greatest advantage, and also to avoid the damaging effects of air pollution. After Burrell's death, Anne Maxwell Macdonald and her family gifted Pollok House and 360 acres of Pollok Estate to the City of Glasgow. There, in a purpose built building, the Burrell Collection can now be found.

Inside the vast building, you can view this important collection of medieval art, tapestries, alabasters, stained glass, and English oak furniture. It is particularly good for European paintings, including many works by Degas and Cézanne. The collection also includes Islamic art and modern sculpture including works by Epstein and Rodin. There are works from ancient China, Egypt, Greece, and Rome. Architectural features from the collection have been integrated into the structure of the building at the entrance and elsewhere, you can walk under arches built for medieval lords and ladies. There are also reconstructions of rooms from Sir William Burrell’s home, furnished in Gothic style with items from the collection.

The Burrell Collection is open every day of the week. It is within Glasgow city limits but not within the downtown area. You can get to Pollock County Park by rail or bus, then take a courtesy bus from the park entrance to the Burrell Collection, but I chose to take a taxi, which was £8 including tip. Admission to the main collection is free, a charge may apply to special exhibits.

Floor plans are available for free at the reception desk just as you enter the building. Audio guides are also available. There is also a small gift shop with more extensive guides to the collection. They range in price. A cafe and restaurant are also housed within the building. On a pleasant day, a leisurely meal in the park setting would be a good finish after viewing the collection.

It is almost exhausting to think of collecting all of the items. There is a lot to see and I recommend anyone with an interest in art should visit because there is sure to be some items of interest.
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From journal Friendly Glasgow

The Burrell Collection

by Re Carroll

Abbotsford, British Columbia

January 15, 2001

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This stunning collection is mentioned in just about every travel book on Glasgow and it deserves to be as it is one of the premier attractions in Scotland. The collection belonged to Sir William Burrell and features French impressionist paintings, ...Read more

From journal Glasgow - New and Improved

The Burrell Collection

by kimmsw

Sparks, Nevada

June 30, 2000

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The Burrell Collection is entirely a private collection left to Glasgow by a wealthy shipowner who colected art everywhere he went. The collection includes funriture, pictures, art objects, tapestries, reconsructed rooms from Sir Burrell's castle, ...Read more

From journal Glasgow isn't as bad as it's former reputation

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