BROUGHTY Ferry councillor Ken Guild has raised the possibility of the opening hours of Broughty Castle Museum being extended during Broughty Gala Week to allow the public to view part of the famous Orchar Collection of paintings with Dundee City Council.
The Orchar Collection was acquired by Dundee City Council 20 years ago when the Orchar Gallery was sold, after residents (and James McIntosh Patrick) battled unsuccessfully to keep the collection in Broughty Ferry.
Since then, the paintings hav
e been exhibited in McManus Galleries which have been closed for renovation since 2005 but are due to re-open later this year.
Councillor Guild said: "I have had a discussion with Moira Methven of the Leisure and Communities Department about extending the opening hours to enable the public to view the paintings at Broughty Castle during Gala Week.
"I have been informed that they are amenable to the suggestion and will do it if staffing permits."
The collection contains over 400 paintings, prints and drawings is regarded as one of the most important Victorian collections of Scottish art in the country. It was estimated to be worth more than £1m when it was moved, 20 years ago and estimates of its current value vary. One of the city's most prominent businessmen, James Guthrie Orchar was a Provost of Broughty Ferry and an inventor and engineer as well as a patron of the arts.
Now 30 of the paintings are part of a new permanent gallery in the Broughty Castle Museum. They include a selection of portraits, landscapes and still lifes by artists of the Robert Scott Lauder Group, including William McTaggart, Hugh Cameron, George Paul Chalmers, John MacWhirter, John Pettie and William Quiller Orchardson. It also includes twentieth century paintings by Alec Grieve, Philip de Laszlo and James McIntosh Patrick.
"It is good that these paintings are returning to the vicinity of their original home," Councillor Guild concluded.
The full article contains 322 words and appears in n/a newspaper.
