Friday, April 1, 2011

Dali painting returned to Kelvingrove Art Gallery after U.S. trip

A World famous painting has returned to Kelvingrove Art Gallery after a trip to America. Salvador Dali’s Christ of St John of the Cross was sent to the US on loan in August of last year.



The Painting featured in a major exhibition of Dali’s work in the High Museum in Atlanta and was seen by more than 270,000 people making it the fifth best attended exhibit in its history.

Gallery bosses decided to move it after complaints about its previous site, at the end of a corridor on the first floor.

The priceless masterpiece, which is a highlight for the hundreds of thousands who visit the gallery each year, is now in its own room alongside some preliminary sketches and photographs.

The price of £8200 was considered high, although it was reduced from £12,000 and included copyright. That turned out to be a masterstroke by the then director of Glasgow Museums, Dr Tom J Honeyman.

George Redmond, chairman of Glasgow Life, said: “The Iconic Christ of St John of the Cross is back home at Kelvingrove where hundreds of thousands of visitors will be able to enjoy it.

“There is no doubt this painting has been missed, but we have learned much about the significance of it in Dali’s body of work.

“It has a new home in the museum and a new display which will reflect our greater knowledge of the masterpiece.”

Christ of St John of the Cross has been one of the star attractions at Kelvingrove since the museum’s £35million refurbishment was completed in 2006. 

It previously had pride of place in St Mungo’s Museum of Religious Art and Life beside Glasgow Cathedral.

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