With over 8,000 pieces of art ranging from Oriental ceramics and carpets to paintings by Cezanne and sculptures by Rodin, the Burrell Collection is housed in a beautiful glass and brick building and set in a serene city park.
The collection takes its name from Sir William Burrell, a local shipping magnate who donated his impressive private art collection to the City of Glasgow in 1944. The current museum in Pollok Country Park was unveiled to the public by Queen Elizabeth II in 1983.
The beautiful estate that the museum sits in was donated by a noble family in 1967, alongside an impressive collection of Spanish art. It wasn’t until the 1970s that English architect Garry Basson was commissioned to design the current building, which incorporates a stone doorway from the original Burrell Collection.
Taking pride of place in the glass-covered courtyard is a copy of Auguste Rodin’s bronze sculpture “The Thinker”, and the impressive Italian Warwick Vase which dates back to the 2nd century. An excellent collection of ancient relics and artefacts fills the halls, including Egyptian sculptures and Greek jewellery. Some of post-impressionist painter Paul Cezanne’s work is featured in the gallery.
Head to the Hutton Rooms to see collections of local medieval weaponry and armour that sit alongside Chinese and Islamic artefacts from afar. The Hutton Rooms are replicas of the rooms in Burrell’s former castle in Scotland.
The museum sometimes holds special events like art history talks or workshops – have a look at the Burrell Collection website for more details. Combine your visit to the museum with a walk through North Wood, the small forest inside Pollok Country Park.
You can get to the Burrell Collection in fifteen minutes from the city centre, and can park your car on site for a fee. Alternatively, there are a number of trains and buses that stop within walking distance of the park.
Open daily, the free museum closes on 25 and 26 December as well as 1 and 2 January. On Hogmanay (New Year’s Eve) it is closed in the afternoon.
