THE KELVINGROVE ART GALLERY AND MUSEUM
Jan 2010
Bairdstravel headed to the west end of Glasgow to the wonderful Kelvingrove art gallery and museum. The museum is very easy to get to from the city centre.
It is built in a Spanish Baroque style, follows the Glaswegian tradition of using local red sandstone, and includes an entire program of architectural sculpture by George Frampton, Francis Derwent Wood and other sculptors.
Although intended as a permanent building, it was designed as a principal building of another International Exhibition in the Park in 1901.
This explains why the building appears to be built 'back to front'. Nowadays most visitors enter from the main street, Argyle Street — the "back" of the building, rather than via the "front" entrance facing the Park (Kelvingrove has photographs and programmes from the original exhibition on display).
Locals for years have told tourists that the designer commited suicide by throwing himself of the top when he found out the buiding had been build the wrong way round. Untrue .
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Kelvingrove boasts a magnificent organ, built at the turn of the last century.
We have a programme of daily organ recitals; performances are free, and take place at the following times:
Monday to Saturday - 1pm (duration: 20 to 30 minutes)
Sunday - 3pm to 3.45pm
more details visit
http://www.glasgowlife.org.uk/museums/our-museums/kelvingrove/whats-on/organ-recitals/Pages/default.aspx
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Intermezzo provide unique access to museums, art galleries and heritage venues across Scotland for businesses and visitors from around the world. They are a leading provider of luxury experiences and provide clients with unique private viewings for their guests
Daytime Tours
Tour takes 1 - 1.5 hours
You tell us what you would like to see
(includes ticket for Glasgow Boys Exhibition)
You tell us what you would like to see
Twilight Tours of Kelvingrove Art Gallery & Museum after it has closed to the public. Check out the website for dates and further details.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
PAINTING OF THE OPENING
Most of the founding contents were bequeathed by Archibald McLellan, a coach builder, who died in 1854. His name lives on at the McLellan Galleries in Sauchiehall Street. Objects from overseas expeditions by such famous explorers as David Livingstone, Charles Darwin and Captain Cook were added to the collections. The total number of objects in the collections now stands at over 200,000 items.
The highlight of the Gallery is Christ of Saint John of the Cross. Which is a painting by Salvador Dalí made in 1951. It depicts Jesus Christ on the cross in a darkened sky floating over a body of water complete with a boat and fishermen. Although it is a depiction of the crucifixion, it is devoid of nails, blood, and a crown of thorns, because, according to Dalí, he was convinced by a dream that these features would mar his depiction of Christ. Also in a dream, the importance of depicting Christ in the extreme angle evident in the painting was revealed to him.
The painting is known as the "Christ of Saint John of the Cross," because its design is based on a drawing by the 16th century Spanish friar Saint John of the Cross.
The Spanish government is said to have offered £80 million for the painting, but the offer was turned down
Kelvingrove is the most visited museum in the UK outside London. More than 1million people regularly visited the museum each year before it closed for restoration in 2003. In 1998 it had more than 1.2million visitors. And that same year it was voted Glasgow's most popular building by readers of the Evening Times newspaper.
Total cost of the restoration was £27.9 million. The Heritage Lottery Fund contributed nearly £13 million, Glasgow City Council and European Regional Development Fund £12 million, including £2.5 million from private sponsorship and fund raising through the Kelvingrove Refurbishment Appeal, and Historic Scotland gave £500,000.