A GLASGOW man has been reunited with a painting of his late father nearly 40 after he first saw it.

 

Stephen Barclay's dad William was on his way home from work in the east end meat market in 1977 when Alasdair Gray asked if he could stop for a moment to draw him.

It was only later that year Stephen, now 52 and living in Govanhill, had a chance to see the artwork when it hung in the People's Palace as part of the artist's legendary City Recorder series. And he hadn't seen it since.

Stephen didn't know that recent city-wide celebrations to mark the 80th birthday of the polymath, who wrote the landmark novel Lanark and is one of the country's most prolific living artists, included an exhibition at Kelvingrove Art Gallery and Museum with the work Graham Square Cotton Mill.

Then a feature in the Evening Times in February, which photographed locations used by the artist in the City Recorder series to compare them with today, caught the eye of a relative.

"My cousin Dewar Barclay sent me a picture of the page from the Evening Times, but it was the same day the exhibition at Kelvingrove finished," said Stephen.

"I couldn't sleep that night and went to Kelvingrove the next morning in time for it opening and asked if I could see the painting. But they were actually taking the work off the wall and I couldn't get in."

Glasgow Museums stepped in and organised not just to give Stephen a private viewing of the artwork but a full-size print to take home.

"I felt a bit emotional when I saw it," said Stephen when he laid eyes the work at Glasgow Museums Resource Centre.

"I never thought I'd see that painting again. My dad passed away in 1998, when he was 66, it's lovely to see a picture of him again."

Stephen and his dad lived on the Gallowgate when the painting was done. William was a porter at the meat market, where he worked for 30 years.

"I was about 15 when the picture was done and I always remember my dad's painting was on show in the People's Palace and I told everyone at school my dad was famous," said Stephen.

Susan Pacitti, publishing, commissioning and licensing manager at Glasgow Museums, said they were grateful to Alasdair for his kind permission to reproduce Graham Square Cotton Mill.

"Our photo library holds thousands of images from the unique collections of Glasgow Museums and Libraries and we are pleased to offer a bespoke print service. This allows anyone to order a print of anything from Degas to Mackintosh," she added.

And Councillor Archie Graham, chairman of Glasgow Life, said he was delighted to welcome Stephen to Glasgow Museums Resource Centre to see the original artwork.

"When we heard that he had missed the show at Kelvingrove it was our pleasure to organise a tour of the venue and let him see Alasdair's work of the Graham Street Cotton Mill, which features his father. We hope he will cherish the rare print of the drawing, which must hold an extra special significance for him."

visit www.csgimages.org.uk to browse the collection and order a print.