Glasgow museum to welcome blockbuster collection this May
The Burrell Collection will host all 23 works of Edgar Degas collected by Sir William Burrell.
Glasgow Life’s Burrell Collection will host a blockbuster assortment of 23 works by Hilaire-Germain-Edgar Degas from Friday 24 May 2024 to Monday 30 September.
Discovering Degas: Collecting in the Age of William Burrell will be the museum’s first international exhibition since reopening in 2022 and will explore the collecting and buying of Degas artworks by Sir William Burrell and his wife Constance, Lady Burrell.
Almost 70% of the works are coming on loan from respected collections including The Courtauld, National Museums Liverpool Walker Art Gallery, The National Gallery London, The National Museum Cardiff, and the National Galleries of Scotland in the UK and Musée d’Orsay, Paris.
Loans are supported by the Weston Loan Programme with Art Fund. Created by the Garfield Weston Foundation and Art Fund, the Weston Loan Programme is the first ever UK-wide funding scheme to enable smaller and local authority museums to borrow works of art and artefacts from national collections.
Degas was ahead of his time
Professor Frances Fowle, Senior Trustee at the Sir William Burrell Trust, said: “Degas’s work appealed to collectors like Sir William Burrell due to his skilful drawing, as well as his interest in portraying figures in movement.
“He was extraordinarily modern in his approach, working in a variety of media, adopting unexpected viewpoints and experimenting with bold colours and unusual light effects.
“This exhibition demonstrates the whole range of the artist’s output and creates a context for Burrell’s outstanding collection.
“Among those who developed a taste for Degas were other Glasgow shipbuilders like William McInnes, and several women, among them the yachting enthusiast Elizabeth Workman and the musician Rosalind Maitland.”
READ MORE: Top award for restored Burrell Collection
A personal passion for Burrell
As shown in the exhibition through fascinating letters and other archival material, Burrell is amongst the earliest Scottish collectors to buy works by Degas.
Over a 40-year collecting period Burrell bought over 20 artworks by Degas, far more than any other UK collector, spanning the artist’s career.
Discovering Degas positions these acquisitions in the context of other British collectors who, in the late 19th and early 20th century, were among the first to fully appreciate the artist and purchase his enduringly appealing works.
“The show goes on to consider the influence of art dealers, like Alexander Reid, who championed Degas and the artist’s incredible talent for capturing subjects like the ballet, racehorses, and scenes of modern life during the late 1800s and early 1900s.
An accompanying publication, bespoke public programme, and a symposium, offering new opportunities for academic study, will allow visitors to deepen their understanding of Degas’ appeal and learn more about his legacy in Britain.
Royal reopening
A venue fit for the event
Since reopening The Burrell Collection has won a multitude of awards, recognised globally for its philosophy on community engagement, approach to digital interpretation, and its work on accessibility, inclusiveness, and sustainability.
This exhibition will build on the learnings in each of these areas, which have resulted in 100% of people recently surveyed rating their visit as either excellent or very good.
Tickets are available at burrellcollection.com, priced £13.50/ £11/ £7/ £5 / under 12 free.
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