Burrell gallery reopening overshadowed by row over Nazis’ ‘looted’ art treasures
The reopening of Glasgow’s world-famous Burrell Collection has been rocked by a “looting” row over its horde of art treasures which were plundered by the Nazis.
The results of a near £70 million refurbishment programme will become evident tomorrow, when the collection assembled by “millionaire magpie” Sir William Burrell opens again for the first time in six years.
It was already known that two works of art in the museum dated from 1930s Germany, when they were stolen from Jewish owners.
Glasgow City Council was forced to pay compensation of thousands of pounds to the owners’ descendants.
But a new book by Glasgow Museums curator Martin Bellamy says more treasures can now be traced to “forced sales” during Adolf Hitler’s rise to power.
William Burrell: A Collector’s Life states: ”Research by the current curatorial team has indicated that there are other works in Burrell’s Collection that may have been acquired as a result of forced sales.”
Glasgow Life, which runs the museum, would not say what these items are but accepts that the claim is accurate.
The refusal to identify the works was condemned by leading historian Sir Tom Devine. He said: ”As long as the provenance of these items is established by experts and curators, it should always be made public.
“The question the public
will ask is: ‘What do they have to hide? I find the refusal rather curious. Curators of museums always want the truth to be out, and unvarnished at that.”
Controversial museum items include an early 16th century Swiss tapestry, The Visitation, and a still life painting by Jeanbaptiste-simeon Chardin.
Glasgow Life confirmed that, while the tapestry is being held
in storage, Chardin’s painting will be on display from tomorrow.
Also being showcased is a 200-year-old “rare bronze ritual wine vessel” which was stolen during a raid by British troops on the summer palace in Peking – now Beijing – in 1901.
It dates from the Han dynasty and is similar to another looted item from the palace which
sold for £410,000 four years ago. In their new book, Bellamy and co-author Isobel Macdonald reveal that ship-owner Sir William was frank and open about the source of some of his purchases in small softbacked exercise jotters which he used to record the provenance, description and price paid for each item.
The book adds: ”Some of the practices that were employed would not be viewed as ethical today.
"For example, the purchase book entry for a ‘rare bronze ritual wine vessel’ purchased from TJ Larkin carefully notes that it was ‘from the looting of the Summer Palace, Pekin, 1901.’
Glasgow Life said the looting of the palace was “officially sanctioned”.
It added: “There is nothing to suggest Sir William Burrell was made aware works he was buying originated from forced sales.
“One further object, a Chinese wine pouring vessel, which is believed to have been taken during officially sanctioned looting by soldiers of the Summer Palace in Beijing in 1901, will be on display.”