The Guardian of the Sailors' Grave (Tadorne)

cutting kindly provided by one of Mr Thompson's nephews.

BERWICK'S BURRELL

I had a visit to Berwick last week, during the last days of the exhibition, 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 on the River Toques which flows into the sea between Deauville and Trouville, which you can see below.

Boudin; River Touques, Berwick Museum & Art Gallery

 It is a slightly odd collection, an Opie portrait and a portrait which was once given to Raeburn.And yet another LeNain 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.

The dramatic and stagey Rembrandtesque landscape by Georges Michel is  hard to forget-but then he did churn them out.

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.

I will not say anything about the examples of decorative art such as the Islamic tiles,the oriental ceramics, the metalwork and woodcarving which are beyond my expertise. 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.

Burrell was quite rightly, extremely concerned for the protection of the collection which became the eponymous museum -and expected it to be preserved in a suitably cautious manner. Glasgow has taken legal steps  twice to overturn clauses in his will: Firstly because his concerns had led him to stipulate a site at considerable distance from the centre of Glasgow (away from smoky shipyards).The second time, much more recently and frivolously was because Glasgow wants to send items from his collection on loan overseas.They got their way in the end. For more on this controversy see here.

*If you want to see really fine work by Melville then go to Edinburgh later this year for a real treat. Further info about the show at the National Gallery is here