Burrell Collection's worldwide appeal could be strengthened by new acquisitions

And now Glasgow’s world-renowned collection, and its bid to attract new audiences as it reopens to the public next month, could be strengthened through further acquisitions.

Read more: Glasgow's Burrell Collection reveals public reopening date

Professor Frances Fowle, senior trustee of the Sir William Burrell Trust, said further acquisitions could be a way of bringing people through the doors of what is already recognised as a world class collection.

Professor Frances Fowle, senior trustee of the Sir William Burrell Trust pictured at the refurbished museum. Photograph by Colin Mearns.

Prof Fowle said: “People will come to the building and see how the museum looks, with the wonderful new central atrium, but then you have to have things which will keep them coming back and I think acquisitions is one way of doing that.

“The local communities especially like to see new things and acquisitions is one way of keeping the collection fresh. The other way is through exhibitions and we are planning some for the future.”

Following a £69million revamp and closed for nearly six years, the world-renowned museum in Pollok Country Park will reopen to the public on Tuesday, March 29, Glasgow Life, the charity which runs it, revealed.

Burrell Collection preview ahead of it reopening to the public next month

The A-listed home of The Burrell Collection in Pollok Country Park has been described as a modern, greener museum that will show more of the collection to visitors and give access to over a third more of the building.

And while future acquisitions might attract new and returning audiences, what to select would also need careful consideration.

“As trustees we are here to fulfil Sir William’s wishes so we are in his shoes in a way and we have to be very careful about what we choose to buy,” added Ms Fowle.

“There are different criteria. We’d have to think ‘is this something that Sir William himself would have wanted to buy,’ in what way does it enhance the collection – it has to have some rationale – and also what benefit will it give to the public gain from the addition to the collection. We also have to be careful about provenance and the history of objects.

“With the Claudel it is the first sculpture by a woman in the collection. It is also the first work by Claudel in a UK collection which is extraordinary. She is such an interesting artist who kind of lived under the shadow of Auguste Rodin, of which Sir William had an important collection of, and there is supposed to be one piece which Claudel and Rodin worked on together.

“Some of the Rodin’s Sir William bought came direct from the artist’s studio so this was a good addition which broadens the collection out which is important and also that women are represented.”

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The Burrell Collection, which first opened its doors in 1983, was the first step in a springboard which led to Glasgow recreating itself through culture following the demise of the shipbuilding industry.

Camille Claudel’s L’Implorante will be displayed at the Burrell Collection later this year

Ms Fowle added: “It is hugely important that the building has been restored. All though it is only 40 years old, the way that these museums operate, and the expectations of the visitors, and environmental expectations, have all changed hugely in that period.

“Now we have a state-of-the-art museum and not only are there 30 per cent more objects on show we also have the wonderful open stores which the trust funded. It means that there is access to almost the entire collection which is very important.”

Amassed over 75 years, it is hailed as one of the world’s greatest personal art collections, renowned for its quality of Chinese art, exquisite stained glass, intricate tapestries as well as its breadth of fine art.

For Ms Fowle the collection has always fascinated her even before she became a trustee.

She added: “I am a specialist in 19th century art and I have known the collection for years. I have been interested in the collection for a long time including the connection of Sir William and Alexander Reid who was one of his main advisors. Many people ask how did the collection come to Glasgow and how was it possible for him to buy all these objects when he was based in Glasgow.

“One reason Glasgow was this enormously wealthy city and was also a world leader in various industries but also that there was a lot of very successful artists and it was a kind of cultural scene at the time and you get the emergence of these key dealers who, like Reid, were able to advise a collector like Sir William.

“He would have bought them in Glasgow, but also London and abroad, so it has the enormous breadth which is due to Sir William’s own intellectual fascination with the objects themselves. He really loved Medieval art that was his first love and you can tell that by the fact that he lived in Hutton Castle, in the Borders, and he chose to repurpose the enormous mansion and then fill it with these extraordinary objects.”

The Burrell Collection will reopen to the public next month after a £69m revamp

Sir William developed passions for particular artists including French impressionist Edgar Degas, of which there are 22 works in the collection, and Scots artist Joseph Crawhall, one of the Glasgow Boys.

Ms Fowle described Sir William as a methodical collector with a good eye but was also philanthropic as he lent out parts of his collection.

As it enters this next phase Ms Fowle said the redesign has been about doing the collection justice.

“There is so much more space so it really gives the objects room to breathe. It is a fantastic museum and it is great that has been restored and improved and now it is a museum that is really state of the art fit for 21st century audiences. I think the collection, which has always been world class, really deserves to have its profile raised internationally as well as locally and I hope this does that.”