About a year ago I visited Berwick to see the artworks which Sir William Burrell gifted to the town. The other Burrell Collection. I had seen the paintings as a child when they were displayed in the old library.
I knew there would be Crawhalls. That was sufficient reason to go. And there were two watercolours by Arthur Melville. Now I yield to none in my admiration for Melville and Crawhall.But both artists were represented by second grade work. To see those four pictures by Crawhall was to think that Burrell was giving Berwick less good examples. The Crawhall masterpieces, of which Burrell had many, went to Glasgow.The Daubigny is nothing special and the Gericault drawing-if it is by Gericault is not up to much.
In terms of quality,the best works-showing a good artist working well-were by Boudin, particularly the scene of the River Toques.
The Degas sketch of Russian dancers was an indifferent example from a group of late works. Still it is always good to see a Degas.
It is a slightly odd collection, an Opie portrait and a portrait which was once given to Raeburn.And yet another LeNain type group. There are several items by well known C19 Dutch artists-very much collected in late C19 Scotland. They are not very exciting examples of their work.
I will not say anything about the examples of decorative art such as the Islamic tiles, the metalwork and woodcarving. Why Burrell gave these secondary items to Berwick could have many explanations. There wasn't an actual art gallery in Berwick and that may have influenced him as much as anything else.
I knew there would be Crawhalls. That was sufficient reason to go. And there were two watercolours by Arthur Melville. Now I yield to none in my admiration for Melville and Crawhall.But both artists were represented by second grade work. To see those four pictures by Crawhall was to think that Burrell was giving Berwick less good examples. The Crawhall masterpieces, of which Burrell had many, went to Glasgow.The Daubigny is nothing special and the Gericault drawing-if it is by Gericault is not up to much.
In terms of quality,the best works-showing a good artist working well-were by Boudin, particularly the scene of the River Toques.
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| Boudin, River Toques |
The damatic and stagey Rembrandtesque landscape by Georges Michel is hard to forget-but then he did churn them out.
It is a slightly odd collection, an Opie portrait and a portrait which was once given to Raeburn.And yet another LeNain type group. There are several items by well known C19 Dutch artists-very much collected in late C19 Scotland. They are not very exciting examples of their work.
I will not say anything about the examples of decorative art such as the Islamic tiles, the metalwork and woodcarving. Why Burrell gave these secondary items to Berwick could have many explanations. There wasn't an actual art gallery in Berwick and that may have influenced him as much as anything else.
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