Topics > Museums, Archives, Galleries and Collections > Bowes Museum
Bowes Museum
The Bowes Museum is located in the town of Barnard Castle and houses an internationally renowned art collection. The museum opened on the 10th June 1892 and was built as a public art gallery for John Bowes and his wife Joséphine Chevalier, Countess of Montalbo. DL12 8NP. The museum building is Grade 1 listed on the National Heritage List for England.
The Bowes Museum has a nationally-renowned art collection and is situated in the town of Barnard Castle, Teesdale, County Durham, England.
The museum contains paintings by El Greco, Francisco Goya, Canaletto, Jean-Honoré Fragonard and François Boucher, together with a sizable collection of decorative art, ceramics, textiles, tapestries, clocks and costumes, as well as older items from local history. The early works of French glassmaker Émile Gallé were commissioned by Joséphine, wife of the founder John Bowes. A great attraction is the 18th-century Silver Swan automaton, which periodically preens itself, looks round and appears to catch and swallow a fish.
History
The Bowes Museum was purpose-built as a public art gallery for John Bowes and his wife Joséphine Chevalier, Countess of Montalbo, who both died before it opened in 1892. Bowes was the illegitimate son of John Bowes the 10th Earl of Strathmore, and Kinghorne.
It was designed with the collaboration of two architects, the French architect and John Edward Watson of Newcastle. The building, in a grand French style within landscaped gardens, an early account described it as "... some 500 feet in length by 50 feet high, and is designed in the French style of the First Empire. Its contents are priceless, consisting of unique Napoleon relics, splendid picture galleries, a collection of old china, not to be matched anywhere else in the world, jewels of incredible beauty and value; and, indeed, a wonderful and rare collection of art objects of every kind."
Among those with less favorable opinions was Nikolaus Pevsner, who considered it to be "... big, bold and incongruous, looking exactly like the town hall of a major provincial town in France. In scale it is just as gloriously inappropriate for the town to which it belongs (and to which it gives some international fame) as in style".
The building was begun in 1869 and was reputed to have cost £100,000 (£10,080,000 as of 2012). Bowes and his wife left an endowment of £125,000 and a total of 800 paintings.
A major redevelopment of the Bowes Museum began in 2005. To date, improvements have been made to visitor facilities (shop, cafe and toilets); galleries (new Fashion & Textile gallery, Silver gallery and English Interiors gallery); and study/learning facilities. The three art galleries, on the second floor of the museum, we also updated.
The museum hosts an internationally significant programme of exhibitions, recently featuring works by Monet, Raphael, Turner, Sisley, Gallé, William Morris, and Toulouse-Lautrec.
The BBC announced in 2013 that a Portrait of Olivia Boteler Porter was a previously unknown Anthony van Dyck painting. It had been found in the Bowes Museum storeroom by art historian Dr. Bendor Grosvenor who had observed it on-line at the Your Paintings web site. The painting itself was covered in layers of varnish and dirt, and had not been renovated. It was originally thought to be a copy, and valued at between £3,000 to £5,000. Christopher Brown, director of the Ashmolean Museum, confirmed it was a van Dyck after it had been restored.
Visit the page: Bowes Museum for references and further details. You can contribute to this article on Wikipedia.
![](/uploads/thumbs2/bowes_museum.png)
from http://www.thebowesmuseum.org…
The Bowes Museum
- Official Website of the Museum. "A magnificent French château created in the late 19th century by John and Joséphine Bowes, housing internationally renowned collections of European fine and decorative arts …
Added by
Simon Cotterill
![](https://farm3.staticflickr.com/2560/3955939897_35131f3f17_z.jpg)
from Flickr (flickr)
The Bowes Museum, Art Gallery Barnard Castle Teesdale County Durham North East
Pinned by Simon Cotterill
![](/uploads/pics/40/40162.jpg)
from Flickr (flickr)
Le Jour ni l’Heure 0925 : Marteen van Heemskerck, 1498-1574, Allégorie de l’Innocence et de la Ruse, Bowes Museum, Barnard Castle, Co. Durham, Angleterre, lundi 16 avril 2012, 13:34:38
Pinned by Simon Cotterill
![](/uploads/pics/40/40164.jpg)
from Flickr (flickr)
Le Jour ni l’Heure 0889 : Vincenzo Monti, † 1782, Assemblée musicale (A Musical Party), c. 1770, The Bowes Museum, Barnard Castle, Co. Durham, Angleterre, Royaume-Uni, lundi 16 avril 2012, 13:14:47
Pinned by Simon Cotterill
![](/uploads/pics/40/40167.jpg)
from Flickr (flickr)
Le Jour ni l’Heure 0958 : John Glover, 1767-1849, Bull, c. 1810, Bowes Museum, Barnard Castle, Co. Durham, Angleterre, Grande-Bretagne, lundi 16 avril 2012, 13:47:42
Pinned by Simon Cotterill
![](https://farm7.staticflickr.com/6054/5896607268_bd9bafc430_z.jpg)
from Flickr (flickr)
Th fountain and gardens at Bowes (and remote controlled bird)
Pinned by Simon Cotterill
![](https://farm3.staticflickr.com/2397/2501029089_2e893cc89c_z.jpg)
from Flickr (flickr)
Sneaky photo of the famous and priceless Silver Swan - The Bowes Museum, Barnard Castle, County Durham
Pinned by Simon Cotterill
![](/uploads/pics/40/40181.jpg)
from Flickr (flickr)
Le Jour ni l’Heure 0966 : Pietro Nocchi, 1783-1855, Dame à la guitare-lyre, 1811, The Bowes Museum, Barnard Castle, Co. Durham, Angleterre, lundi 16 avril 2012, 13:51:29
Pinned by Simon Cotterill
![](/uploads/pics/40/40182.jpg)
from Flickr (flickr)
Le Jour ni l'Heure 0896 : Claudio Coello,1642-1693, ou son atelier, portrait, c. 1690, de la reine douairière d’Espagne, Marie-Anne d’Autriche, 1634-1696, Bowes Museum, Barnard Castle, Co. Durham, Angleterre, lundi 16 avril 2012, 16:20:33
Pinned by Simon Cotterill
![](/uploads/pics/40/40194.jpg)
from Flickr (flickr)
Le Jour ni l’Heure 0929 : Domenico Caprioli, 1494-1528, Lelio Torelli, Juriconsulte à Fano, 1528, The Bowes Museum, Barnard Castle, Co. Durham, Angleterre, lundi 16 avril 2012, 13:36:01
Pinned by Simon Cotterill
![](/uploads/pics/40/40196.jpg)
from Flickr (flickr)
Le Jour ni l’Heure 0893 : Charles-Quint, empereur, 1500-1558, portrait dans le style de Juan Pantoja de la Cruz, 1553-1608, Bowes Museum, Barnard Castle, Co. Durham, Angleterre, lundi 16 avril 2012, 13:19:05
Pinned by Simon Cotterill
![](/uploads/pics/40/40198.jpg)
from Flickr (flickr)
Le Jour ni l’Heure 0910 : Jan Van Amstel, c. 1500-1540, Paysage avec la fuite en Égypte, 1530, dét., Bowes Museum, Barnard Castle, Co. Durham, Angleterre, Royaume-Uni, lundi 16 avril 2012, 13:27:29
Pinned by Simon Cotterill
![](/uploads/pics/40/40199.jpg)
from Flickr (flickr)
Le Jour ni l’Heure 0830 : portrait, 1851, de François Guizot, 1787-1874, par Joseph-Désiré Court, 1797-1865, The Bowes Museum, Barnard Castle, Co. Durham, Angleterre, lundi 16 avril 2012, 12:40:25
Pinned by Simon Cotterill
![](/uploads/pics/40/40202.jpg)
from Flickr (flickr)
Le Jour ni l’Heure 0883 : Sir Joshua Reynolds, 1723-1792, Portrait de dame, c. 1760, The Bowes Museum, Barnard Castle, Co. Durham, Angleterre, Royaume-Uni, lundi 16 avril 2012, 13:11:50
Pinned by Simon Cotterill
![](/uploads/pics/40/40203.jpg)
from Flickr (flickr)
Le Jour ni l’Heure 0898 : Maria Luisa d’Orléans, 1662-1689, reine d’Espagne, épouse de Charles II, portrait attribué à José Garcia Hidalgo, c. 1642-1717, Bowes Museum, Barnard Castle, Co. Durham, Angleterre, lundi 16 avril 2012, 14:21:46
Pinned by Simon Cotterill
![](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/VojhLG3xKYo/maxresdefault.jpg)
from Youtube (youtube)
Lord Montgomery presents new Colours in the Bowes Museum Park, Durham (1955)
Pinned by Simon Cotterill
![](/static/img/loading.gif)
![](/uploads/thumbs2/bowes_museum.png)
from http://www.thebowesmuseum.org…
The Bowes Museum
- Official Website of the Museum. "A magnificent French château created in the late 19th century by John and Joséphine Bowes, housing internationally renowned collections of European fine and decorative arts …
Added by
Simon Cotterill
![](https://farm3.staticflickr.com/2560/3955939897_35131f3f17_z.jpg)
from Flickr (flickr)
The Bowes Museum, Art Gallery Barnard Castle Teesdale County Durham North East
Pinned by Simon Cotterill
![](/uploads/pics/40/40162.jpg)
from Flickr (flickr)
Le Jour ni l’Heure 0925 : Marteen van Heemskerck, 1498-1574, Allégorie de l’Innocence et de la Ruse, Bowes Museum, Barnard Castle, Co. Durham, Angleterre, lundi 16 avril 2012, 13:34:38
Pinned by Simon Cotterill
![](/uploads/pics/40/40164.jpg)
from Flickr (flickr)
Le Jour ni l’Heure 0889 : Vincenzo Monti, † 1782, Assemblée musicale (A Musical Party), c. 1770, The Bowes Museum, Barnard Castle, Co. Durham, Angleterre, Royaume-Uni, lundi 16 avril 2012, 13:14:47
Pinned by Simon Cotterill
![](/uploads/pics/40/40167.jpg)
from Flickr (flickr)
Le Jour ni l’Heure 0958 : John Glover, 1767-1849, Bull, c. 1810, Bowes Museum, Barnard Castle, Co. Durham, Angleterre, Grande-Bretagne, lundi 16 avril 2012, 13:47:42
Pinned by Simon Cotterill
![](https://farm7.staticflickr.com/6054/5896607268_bd9bafc430_z.jpg)
from Flickr (flickr)
Th fountain and gardens at Bowes (and remote controlled bird)
Pinned by Simon Cotterill
![](https://farm3.staticflickr.com/2397/2501029089_2e893cc89c_z.jpg)
from Flickr (flickr)
Sneaky photo of the famous and priceless Silver Swan - The Bowes Museum, Barnard Castle, County Durham
Pinned by Simon Cotterill
![](/uploads/pics/40/40181.jpg)
from Flickr (flickr)
Le Jour ni l’Heure 0966 : Pietro Nocchi, 1783-1855, Dame à la guitare-lyre, 1811, The Bowes Museum, Barnard Castle, Co. Durham, Angleterre, lundi 16 avril 2012, 13:51:29
Pinned by Simon Cotterill
![](/uploads/pics/40/40182.jpg)
from Flickr (flickr)
Le Jour ni l'Heure 0896 : Claudio Coello,1642-1693, ou son atelier, portrait, c. 1690, de la reine douairière d’Espagne, Marie-Anne d’Autriche, 1634-1696, Bowes Museum, Barnard Castle, Co. Durham, Angleterre, lundi 16 avril 2012, 16:20:33
Pinned by Simon Cotterill
![](/uploads/pics/40/40194.jpg)
from Flickr (flickr)
Le Jour ni l’Heure 0929 : Domenico Caprioli, 1494-1528, Lelio Torelli, Juriconsulte à Fano, 1528, The Bowes Museum, Barnard Castle, Co. Durham, Angleterre, lundi 16 avril 2012, 13:36:01
Pinned by Simon Cotterill
![](/uploads/pics/40/40196.jpg)
from Flickr (flickr)
Le Jour ni l’Heure 0893 : Charles-Quint, empereur, 1500-1558, portrait dans le style de Juan Pantoja de la Cruz, 1553-1608, Bowes Museum, Barnard Castle, Co. Durham, Angleterre, lundi 16 avril 2012, 13:19:05
Pinned by Simon Cotterill
![](/uploads/pics/40/40198.jpg)
from Flickr (flickr)
Le Jour ni l’Heure 0910 : Jan Van Amstel, c. 1500-1540, Paysage avec la fuite en Égypte, 1530, dét., Bowes Museum, Barnard Castle, Co. Durham, Angleterre, Royaume-Uni, lundi 16 avril 2012, 13:27:29
Pinned by Simon Cotterill
![](/uploads/pics/40/40199.jpg)
from Flickr (flickr)
Le Jour ni l’Heure 0830 : portrait, 1851, de François Guizot, 1787-1874, par Joseph-Désiré Court, 1797-1865, The Bowes Museum, Barnard Castle, Co. Durham, Angleterre, lundi 16 avril 2012, 12:40:25
Pinned by Simon Cotterill
![](/uploads/pics/40/40202.jpg)
from Flickr (flickr)
Le Jour ni l’Heure 0883 : Sir Joshua Reynolds, 1723-1792, Portrait de dame, c. 1760, The Bowes Museum, Barnard Castle, Co. Durham, Angleterre, Royaume-Uni, lundi 16 avril 2012, 13:11:50
Pinned by Simon Cotterill
![](/uploads/pics/40/40203.jpg)
from Flickr (flickr)
Le Jour ni l’Heure 0898 : Maria Luisa d’Orléans, 1662-1689, reine d’Espagne, épouse de Charles II, portrait attribué à José Garcia Hidalgo, c. 1642-1717, Bowes Museum, Barnard Castle, Co. Durham, Angleterre, lundi 16 avril 2012, 14:21:46
Pinned by Simon Cotterill
![](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/VojhLG3xKYo/maxresdefault.jpg)
from Youtube (youtube)
Lord Montgomery presents new Colours in the Bowes Museum Park, Durham (1955)
Pinned by Simon Cotterill