welcome to the working week

Oh the perks of the placement.
I asked if I could take time one afternoon to visit Pollok House, about fifteen minutes' walk further into Pollok Park from la Burrell.
Because I was not about to trek through that park on the weekend.

And I got to count it as part of my work day, because its owned by Glasgow Museums (although run by the National Trust). Yeah I could get used to this.

Approaching Pollok House.


Built in the mid-eighteenth century,
it is the ancestral home of the Stirling Maxwell family.


They gifted the house, its amazing art collection,
and its 361-acre park to the City of Glasgow in 1966.


I was there mostly for the paintings.
Pollok House has what is probably the best private
collection of Spanish Baroque art outside of Spain.

Sadly no pictures permitted inside.

But the paintings are truly amazing.
I took Spanish Baroque art in undergrad,
and it was indescribable to finally see all these paintings for real.


The highlight of the collection is the famous
Lady in a Fur Wrap by El Greco, c. 1577-79.
{image source: Wikipedia}


There's also the bizarre
Portrait of a Royal Infant, attrib. Claudio Coello, 17th C.
{image source: nicepaintings.org}

And many more amazing paintings and objects.
I highly recommend a visit!


What I can show you are the gardens and exterior of the house.


View from the side of the house, towards the parkland.


It's a typical Georgian mansion with maze gardens.


But the weathering, overgrowth & mist make it undeniably Scottish.


Looking out over the parkland and golf course.


Side of house.


Et plus.


Let's head around back...
to what's actually the front of the house.


Down the stairs.


Lovely.


Garden pavilion, circa 1903.


And... here it is in all its glory.


Pretty floral details in stone.


The Stirling Maxwells were fans of stone lions.


More photos of the house & gates.


1903.


Medusa.


Looking in the other direction.


Towards the golf course and parkland.


There's more lions there.


They make a formidable entrance to the house.


And the full effect is gorgeous.


Right across from the house is this picturesque bridge
over the White Cart River, which flows through the park.


From the other side.


And on the bridge.


Shall we visit the grounds?


Stables.


Stable entrance.


To my surprise, I happened upon a little Flemish village.
{They are actually just outbuildings.}


The mill & rushing water.


War memorial.


The wild gardens are so The Secret Garden.


See what I mean?


The [Green] Carpet.


Pavilion & Gardens.


I do not claim to be a flower person.


So excuse the lack of identification.


I prefer to just call them, in this case, pretty pink-stemmed things.


Or day-glo Fraggle Rock flowers.


Garden gates.


RUSTED !


Opening to a purple wall.


And back to le house.


It was rainy, but I didn't mind.


Au rev, Pollok House.
xx