Overview of Burrell Collection, The

A collection of treasures gifted to the City of Glasgow by Sir William Burrell, ship owner and art collector, in 1944, the Burrell Collection is located in a purpose built gallery within Pollok Country Park. After much wrangling over where the collection should be located, in 1963, it was finally agreed that it should be housed in a specially-designed building located in the park.

Designed by Barry Gasson, John Meunier and Brit Anderson of the Cambridge University School of Architecture, the Gallery was finally opened to the public in 1983. The building is clad in Locharbriggs red sandstone, which is combined with glass and stainless steel.

The collection comprises: 19th-century paintings, including works by Degas, Cezanne, Renoir, McTaggart and Whistler; North European Mediaeval art, including stained glass, tapestries and sculptures; European post-Mediaeval art, comprising of silver, table glass and needlework; Oriental art which includes Chinese ceramics, Japanese prints and bronzes and jade; Near-East carpets from areas between India and Turkey; and Artefacts which covers items from Egypt, Greece, Rome, Assyria and Mesopotamia.