May 28th 2024.
For more than four decades, a man by the name of Sir William Burrell dedicated himself to collecting over 9,000 pieces of art. In 1947, he left this vast collection to the city of Glasgow, a gift that would be cherished for years to come. Among his many treasures, Burrell had a particular love for French impressionism, with a special fondness for the works of the revered artist Edgar Degas.
Degas was known for his iconic paintings of ballerinas, but what set him apart from other impressionists was his ability to capture real people in real life. This unique approach to impressionism caught the attention of Burrell, who played a vital role in introducing Degas' work to the nation. In fact, Burrell collected a total of 23 works from the artist - a significant number compared to any other collector in the UK.
Now, for the first time ever, Burrell's original collection of Degas' works is on display in a major exhibition at The Burrell Collection. This comes after a massive £68 million refurbishment of the collection. One of the pieces featured in the exhibition is Degas' 'Jockeys in the Rain', a captivating depiction of horse racing. Another notable work on display is 'The Green Ballet Skirt', a beautiful representation of ballerinas in motion.
According to Frances Fowle, a Professor of 19th Century Art at the University of Edinburgh, Degas' work appealed to collectors like Sir William Burrell because of his skillful drawing and his ability to capture movement in his subjects. Degas was truly ahead of his time, using a variety of media and experimenting with bold colors and unique lighting effects.
The exhibition also features 28 world-class paintings, works on paper, and sculptures on loan from 13 of the UK and Europe's finest national and international collections. Pippa Stephenson-Sit, who co-curated the exhibition, has been working on this project for three years. She describes the experience of seeing all the works together as "magical" and compares it to a theatrical performance.
For Degas, the ballet was a source of inspiration and an opportunity to experiment with movement, color, and form. He even had backstage access for a time, allowing him to capture behind-the-scenes moments of the dancers. Burrell's fascination with the ballet is evident in the exhibition, with vivid pastels and oil paintings depicting the dancers' strain, moments of relaxation, and comradery.
But while Degas may be best known for his paintings of dancers, Pippa hopes this exhibition will add another dimension to people's understanding of the artist. She explains that Degas had a fondness for Britain and even traveled here several times to cultivate relationships and sell his work to British art collectors.
As someone who studied art, Pippa thought she knew Degas as a painter of ballerinas. But through working on this exhibition, she has come to know him in an intimate way, exploring his experimental nature and his use of various mediums, from sculpture to print to drawing and oil painting. She hopes to challenge people's perception of Degas and show that he was much more than just a painter of ballerinas.
The exhibition, titled 'Discovering Degas: Collecting in the Age of William Burrell', will run until September 2024. It's a unique opportunity to see the works of one of the greatest artists the world has ever known and to gain a deeper understanding of his evolutionary and experimental nature. So if you're in the area, be sure to check it out. And for more news stories, be sure to subscribe to Scottish Field.
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