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THE ARCHITECTURE
KELVINGROVE ART GALLERY AND MUSEUM
The building's architecture is one of
Kelvingrove's delights. Many visitors
spend as much time viewing the building
and its architectural details and sculpture
as they do admiring the collections housed
within it.
Kelvingrove Art Gallery and Museum is a
category ‘A’ listed building. You can find
out more about listed buildings in Scotland
from the Historic Scotland website.
FUNDING
Funding for building Kelvingrove was started by the profits from the 1888 International
Exhibition. The Exhibition was visited by 5.75 million people, and yielded a profit of over
£40,000.
The Association for the Encouragement of Art and Music in the City of Glasgow increased
this to over £120,000 by public subscription.
The final cost was in excess of £250,000.
ARCHITECTURAL COMPETITION
The Association for the Encouragement of Art and Music in the City of Glasgow launched
an open architectural competition for the new building in 1891.
James Paton, Superintendent in 1876 was in charge of the McLellan (or Corporation)
Galleries of Art and of the Kelvingrove Museum. In 1866, Paton and James Hunter
Dickson, Chairman of the Museum and Galleries Committee, reported that both buildings
were overcrowded. They also said the McLellan Galleries were a serious fire hazard.
They concluded that this endangered the collections and hindered their proper use:
‘The urgent want of the Art Galleries and Museum of Glasgow is an instalment of a
permanent building erected on a convenient and accessible site, sufficiently isolated to
secure it from the risk of fire’.
Their preferred site was in Kelvingrove Park.
Alfred Waterhouse was the adjudicator for the competition. Waterhouse (1830–1905) was
born in Liverpool. He was most famously associated with the Gothic Revival architecture of
the 19th century. His best-known work is the Natural History Museum in London, and
Manchester Town Hall.
John W Simpson and E J Milner Allen, joint architects, of London, were declared the
winners of the architectural competition in 1892.
THE BRIEF
James Paton was largely responsible for the brief of the competition for the new building
specified:
•
a central or music hall giving easy access to all parts of the building
•
a suite of top-lit art galleries
•
museum halls, some to be roof-lighted, some to be side-lighted saloons
•
a school of art with separate entrance (this was later dropped from the scheme)
The construction was to be fireproof throughout. The building was completed in 1901.
THE ARCHITECTS
The winners of the architectural competition were Sir John William Simpson (1858-1933)
and Edmund John Milner Allen (1859-1912).
Sir John William Simpson
Simpson was born in Brighton, and was President of the Royal Institute of British
Architects from 1919 to 1921. His father was the architect Thomas Simpson, and his
brother was the architect Gilbert Murray Simpson.
Edmund John Milner Allen
Allen was born in London. While an apprentice, he won the Royal Academy Schools
Silver Medal. His father was the painter John Milner Allen.
Other buildings by Simpson and Allen include:
•
City Hospital, Liverpool (1887)
•
Victoria Institute, Worcester (1890)
•
Manchester Royal Infirmary (1896)
•
Cartwright Memorial Hall, Bradford (1899)
THE DESIGN
The architects described their design as 'an astylar composition on severely Classic lines,
but with free Renaissance treatment in detail'. Although it combines a variety of styles,
the best description of the Kelvingrove building is Spanish Baroque. The two main towers
are inspired by those of the great pilgrimage church of Santiago de Compostela.
The exterior of the building is in red sandstone from Locharbriggs, near Dumfries. The
interior is blond sandstone from Giffnock in the south side of Glasgow.
The building was transferred to the Town Council for completion in 1896 as the
Association had exhausted its funds. The foundation stone was laid on 10 September by
the Duke of York (later King George V).
URBAN MYTH
There has been a myth circulating for many years that the building was built the 'wrong
way round'. The myth also states that the architect leapt to his death from one of the
towers.
How the myth started has been lost in the mists of time but it may have begun because the
main entrance is from Kelvingrove Park, while most visitors enter from the main road,
which is Argyle Street.
INTERNAL SCULPTURE – CENTRAL HALL
The interior of the building is in blond Giffnock
sandstone and the 14 names of the guilds of Glasgow
Trades House are carved on the pilasters. Around
the archways, at upper level, are relief carved panels
with the names of 36 composers
On the south end of the Centre Hall, at high level, is
carved the arms of Scotland, with lion rampant.
EXTERNAL SCULPTURE
A scheme for sculpture was devised by the senior architect, Simpson, as well as the
renowned sculptor, George Frampton RA.
Other sculptors involved include:
•
William Birnie Rhind
•
Edward George Bramwell
•
Johann Keller
•
A McF Shannan
•
F Derwent Wood
Frampton created the prestigious bronze group at the north entrance, depicting Saint
Mungo as Patron Saint of the Arts. St Mungo is the city of Glasgow's patron saint. Here
he is depicted with a crozier in his hand.
About Frampton
Sir James George Frampton (1860-1928) created a number public sculptures. For
example, the much-loved Peter Pan playing a set of pipes in London's Kensington
Gardens, and the lions at the British Museum. A memorial to him is in St Paul's Cathedral,
London.
North Entrance
George Frampton created the prestigious bronze group at the north entrance, depicting
Saint Mungo as Patron Saint of the Arts. On either side of St Mungo are female figures:
•
Art is featured with a book
•
Music with an organ
This is a relief of the British colonies saluting the arms of Glasgow.
The entrance is topped by four huge carved figures by Derwent Wood RA, depicting:
•
Music, with a violin
•
Architecture, with a tapered column
•
Sculpture, with a mason’s hammer
•
Painting, with brushes, palette and a painting
About Derwent Wood
Francis Derwent Wood (1871-1926) was appointed Visiting Director of Modelling at
Glasgow School of Art, 1898-1900. Several of his works are in Glasgow.
North Entrance Porch
The two sides of the north entrance porch are decorated with:
•
Industries of Glasgow at the court of Mercury on the
east side
•
Love teaching harmony to the arts on the west side
Higher above are George Frampton carvings which represent the Greek artists:
•
Pheidias, a sculptor
•
Ictinus, an architect
•
Apelles, a painter
Northeast
The northeast of the building has Religion holding a model ship, by Johan Keller.
About Johan Keller
Johan Keller (1863-1944) was born in Holland and he was greatly influenced by artists of
the Italian Renaissance. He spent time in Italy, and was Professor of Sculpture at the
Glasgow School of Art from 1898.
Northwest
On the northwest corner of the building is Commerce by Aristide Fabbrucci. Commerce is
a seated female figure wearing a helmet and holding a model of a ship’s hull.
About Fabbrucci
Aristide Fabbrucci (c1859-1900) was a modeller and sculptor born in Florence and based
in London. His father was the sculptor Louis Fabbrucci.
South Façade
On the south facade, at the west end at roof level is a seated male figure representing
Science, by W Birnie Rhind, circa 1900. There is also a carved sandstone relief of the
arms of the County of Argyll on the west end. This is one of 30 crests of Scottish counties
in the arches above the windows on all four sides of the building, circa 1900.
About W Birnie Rhind
William Birnie Rhind (1853-1933) was born in Edinburgh, and had a studio in West George
Street, Glasgow. He was a prolific sculptor, and there are many of his works in Scotland,
England and abroad
Southeast
On the southeast corner of the building is Literature, by Edward George Bramwell. She is
seated, wearing a wreath and holding an open book, and a quill.
About Bramwell
Edward George Bramwell (1865-1944) taught at Westminster School of Art.