The Burrell Collection’s holdings of stained-glass are nothing short of world class. Acquired throughout Burrell’s life, the collection he, and his wife, Lady Constance, assembled was a source of great pride for Sir William and stands comparison with the major collections of the Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York and the Victoria and Albert Museum, London. Sir William collected widely, from the majestic stained glass windows that transformed ecclesiastical interiors with their vibrant and awe-inspiring colour, to the smaller roundels, quarries, and heraldic panels that adorned private residences. His passion for the art of late medieval and Renaissance northern-Europe is well reflected in the collection, which is particularly strong in 15th and 16th century glass, however there are internationally important panels of both earlier and later date. Comprising of around some 800 pieces, the Burrell’s diverse collection is both vast in scope and high in quality, and beautifully represents the range and changing nature of the northern-European glassmakers’ art.
Ed Johnson is Curator of Medieval and Renaissance Art at Glasgow Life Museums. His current research is centred on the material culture of late medieval Northern Europe with a particular focus on the extensive stained-glass holdings in the Burrell Collection.
