Glasgow Art Gallery
Category: Historic Building
Glasgow Art Gallery
& Museum, Kelvingrove Park
Glasgow's spectacular museum was opened in 1902. It was designed by Sir John William Simpson (1858-1933) & E.J. Milner Allen. There is a legend that the museum was built back to front, and that Simpson jumped off the roof when he found out, but this is not true. This statue by Francis Derwent Wood (1871-1926) is just one of dozens of intricate artworks on the building. Around the museum are many allegorical stone figures, crests of the Scottish counties, symbols relating to Glasgow, and names of great artists, musicians and scientists.
Several sculptors, including Sir William Birnie Rhind, made sculptures for the building. because the project was too massive for one artist working alone. Supervising the making of the sculptures was the job of George Frampton (1860-1928), who also made the great bronze figure of St. Mungo at the entrance. Walk around the building and look upwards to the intricate details of the artworks. It might even be useful to take binoculars for a close-up view.
