Ronald A Muirhead, Sculptor by James Wallace Robert Orr
Ronald A Muirhead (1930 – 1989) was an artist and gallery owner who enriched the lives of the people of Stirlingshire, and his portrait by James Robert Wallace Orr, in the Stirling Smith collections, reflects his artistic interests. The sculpture on the table is his own, and the view into
The Glorious 12th, John Bucknell Russell (1819 – 1893)
To mark ‘the Glorious 12th’, the traditional start of the shooting season in Scotland, today’s painting from the Smith collections is a still life by artist John Bucknell Russell (1819 – 1893). It was gifted to the Smith by Mr Watt of Stirling in 1932. At one time, such paintings
Hamish, the Publicity Coo
A new full colour book on the story of Hamish McKye Denovan (1993 – 2014) is published this week by Tatterdemalion Blue, a publisher now based in Stirling. It is the work of Stirling – based authors Angela and Craig Mair and is a tribute to the now legendary beast
Dr. Griffiths’s Gift to Stirling – Barnwell Model
A new treasure, added to the current Treasures of the Smith exhibition, is a 1/16th scale model of the famous plane built by Frank and Harold Barnwell, whose family home was Elco House, Balfron. Both brothers were educated at Fettes Academy, Edinburgh and their father was managing director of Fairfields
The Fiery Cross by James Drummond (1816 – 1877)
The Fiery Cross by James Drummond, is one of the great history paintings in the Smith collection, acquired through a bequest of the artist, a few years after the Smith opened, in 1877. It shows the ‘Fiery Cross’, a Celtic signal used as a call to arms, arriving at Stirling
Eduardo Paolozzi
The summer exhibition showcasing the Treasures of the Smith opened last week and runs until 4 October. ‘Crash Head’ by Eduardo Paolozzi, created in 1972, is perhaps one of the lesser known sculptures in the collection. It was gifted by the Scottish Arts Council in 1998, when the decision was
Simon Bolivar, The Wallace of South America
The Stirling Smith collection contains many treasures, some of which have seen better days and are in need of major conservation work. Many are anonymous, like this ‘Portrait of a Man in Uniform’. When it was published in the Public Foundation Catalogue of paintings in public collections it was recognised
The Boy Scout, 1957
This statuette in cast aluminium alloy, varnished in brown and with gold highlights is one of several items donated to the Stirling Smith by the late Dr. Ken Mackay (1931-2014). Ken was a life-long Scout, and the trophy was presented to him for his services to the 54th Dundee Scout