The main reason I wanted to visit Glasgow last October was to go to the Kelvingrove Art Gallery and Museum and it turned out to be an even better experience than I’d been expecting, in fact I ended up spending most of the day there. The building itself is beautiful inside and out, designed in a Spanish Baroque style in red sandstone by John W. Simpson and E. J. Milner Allen and opened in 1901.
You enter the museum into this stunning space which has some beautiful lighting.
One of the focal points is the organ built by Lewis and Co for the Glasgow International Exhibition in 1901 and installed at the museum in 1902. It’s a concert organ rather than a church organ and one of the few of its type to remain largely unaltered since it was built. There are free daily organ recitals at lunchtime and it was standing room only when I attended and spent a pleasant half hour or so listening to the performance.
Some of my favourite pieces on display were in the Charles Rennie Mackintosh and Glasgow Style Gallery. The Glasgow Style is a form of decorative art produced by Glasgow designers between 1890 and 1920, the most famous being that produced by Mackintosh. The “O Ye, All Ye That Walk in Willowwood” by Margaret Macdonald Mackintosh (Charles’ wife) was a delight to see in person.
Another item I really liked were these panels beaten out of tin by Marian Henderson Wilson dating from around 1905.
As well as some lovely artwork which I didn’t photograph, I was also impressed by this stained glass window
and these heads are quite striking. Designed by Sophie Cave they’re apparently supposed to represent the freedom of visitor’s ideas and thoughts.
The museum is full of interesting and varied art and artefacts and definitely the highlight of my visit to Glasgow. You can see more photos here.
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