Bowes Museum

The museum’s collection includes paintings by El Greco , Francisco Goya , Canaletto , Jean-Honore Fragonard , Francois Boucher , handicrafts, ceramics, textiles, tapestries , watches and costumes, as well as objects of local history. There are early works by the French glassblower Emile Galle , commissioned by Josephine, the wife of museum founder John Bowles.

Of great value is the machine of the XVIII century Silver Swan ( Eng. Silver Swan ) ^[1] , which is still an operating machine.

The museum, as a public art gallery, was founded in a purpose-built building by John Bowes and his wife Josephine Chevalier, Countess Montalbo. The museum's collection was purchased by the spouses at personal expense, so only the Silver Swan cost them £ 200. But they died before the museum was opened in 1892.

The museum building was designed by two architects - the Frenchman Jules Pellesche and John Edward Watson of Newcastle , in the French style, surrounded by landscaped gardens, about 500 feet long and 50 feet high. The museum's collection contains unique Napoleonic relics, paintings, objects of ancient China and a rare collection of art objects of all kinds.

The museum building was started by construction in 1869 and cost £ 100,000 (more than £ 10,080,000 at the 2012 rate). In 2005, the building was reconstructed with its adaptation to the needs of the modern museum (arrangement of cafes, retail premises, toilets, etc.).

According to BBC ^[2], in 2013, an unknown painting by Van Dyck - a portrait of Olivia Porter - was discovered in the museum’s storerooms by art critic Bendor Grosvenor.

Barnard Castle. Museum "Bowes". Online tour

Barnard Castle, UK.

Bowes Museum. Great Britain "England" Sights of England "Art exhibitions, Museums