Glasgow
- Kelvingrove Park
- Kelvingrove Art Gallery and Museum
  (architecture)

The Scotland Guide
www.scotland-guide.co.uk
© David Williams

107

The museum has a large, tall hall in the centre with wings on either side; in both wings, the ground floor has large windows for lighting exhibits and the first floor has no windows as the upper galleries are top-lit. The southern facade has two towers and a massive porch over the broad flight of steps to the main entrance.

The building`s northern side has two tall towers and a smaller central tower over the porch. The porch is the most important feature of this side and it shelters the building`s main statue, the bronze sculpture St Mungo as the Patron of Art and Music (George Frampton). The city`s patron saint, St Mungo (with crozier in his hand) is flanked by female figures representing Art (with a book) and Music (with an organ). Above this group is a relief sculpture The British colonies saluting the arms of Glasgow and the porch`s two sides are decorated with Industries of Glasgow at the court of Mercury (east side) and Love teaching harmony to the arts (west side); these three reliefs are also by George Frampton. Higher up, there are carvings representing three great Greek artists: Pheidias (sculptor), Ictinus (architect) and Apelles (painter).

A smaller tower on the left has sculptures entitled Music (with a violin) and Architecture (with a tapered column) while the tower on the right has Sculpture (with a mason`s hammer) and Painting (with brushes, palette and a painting). These four (by Francis Derwent Wood) are part of a collection of eight similar sculptures around the building. On the north-east corner is Religion (by Johan Keller); she holds a model of a ship and points heavenward. On the south-east corner is Literature (by Edward George Bramwell); she wears a wreath and holds an open book and a quill. On the south-west corner is Science (by William Birnie Rhind); he is resting his elbows on the arms of a chair and nearby are books and a globe. On the north-west corner is Commerce (by Aristide Fabbricci); she wears a helmet and holds a model of a ship`s hull.

In addition, the building`s sides are engraved with the names of various great artists (in chronological order) below which are the coats of arms of the Scottish counties (in alphabetical order). Apart from all these sculptures, there are many other sculptural details which are quite delightful.

Back to the main description of the building.

This article is based on the guidebook "The Glasgow Guide".

This rooftop statue represents Literature; she wears a wreath and holds an open book and a quill.

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