Alasdair Gray's Cowcaddens has its new home in Kelvingrove Art Gallery and Museum
Alasdair Gray. Cowcaddens Streetscape in the Fifties, © The Estate of Alasdair Gray, 1964, oil (and mixed media) on board. Purchased with a grant from the National Fund for Acquisitions, 2023. ID no: 3795
Celebrate the fifth annual Gray Day with us at Kelvingrove as we honour the life and work of the renowned Scottish polymath, Alasdair Gray.
We are hosting two lunchtime talks in the week of Gray Day. The talks will shed light on Alasdair's vision of the city as a 'lost civilisation' and his art-making practice. Both talks are free to attend.
The iconic Cowcaddens Streetscape in the Fifties is one of Alasdair Gray's best-known works and what he called his “best big oil painting”.
Alasdair Gray (28 December 1934-29 December 2019) was one of Scotland’s most multi-talented artists.
He was a prolific poet, playwright, novelist, painter, and printmaker whose work continues to be celebrated in books, exhibitions, and the annual Gray Day (25 February).
He credited his fledgling love of painting to a weekend art class at Kelvingrove Art Gallery and Museum.
This painting is a remarkable addition to our collection of works by the legendary Alasdair Gray. It is a powerful image of Glasgow by an artist with strong links to the city and belongs in a public collection where Glaswegians and visitors can enjoy it.
You can see Cowcaddens Streetscape in the Fifties now in the Looking at Art gallery at Kelvingrove Art Gallery and Museum.