In Greek mythology, Atlas was condemned to carry the Earth on his shoulders for eternity.

That sentence, it seems, also extended to holding up the Mitchell Library.

The carved figure above is one of a pair of giants - one old, the other younger - standing like sentries at the library's main entrance in Granville Street.

Statues depicting Atlas, known in the architectural world by the Latin plural atlantes, adorn some of the finest buildings around the world.

Go to Italy, Greece, Brazil, France, the United States and you will find similar sculptures appearing to hold up the lintels or columns of major public buildings.

It is no surprise they can be found in Glasgow, a city with such a rich architectural heritage.

In fact the Mitchell Library example is not the only one in the city, they can also be found on the Bank of Scotland building at the corner of George Square and St Vincent Street.

The Mitchell Library atlantes were salvaged from the burnt out remains of the old St Andrew's Halls, destroyed by fire in 1962.

The architect responsible was John Mossman, known as "The Father of Glasgow Sculpture".

He worked on statues, including the atlantes, on the old St Andrew's Halls between 1873 and 1877.

His work can also be seen in George Square where he sculpted the statues of ex-Prime Minister Robert Peel and poet Thomas Campbell.

Mossman's father, William Mossman, was responsible for the atlantes on the Bank of Scotland building.

Next time you go into the Mitchell, check out this impressive guy and his younger companion - and don't try and tickle their armpits, the place might come down.