At the end of the nineteenth century, the Glasgow Style emerged as the major manifestation of Art Nouveau in Britain. This exhibition showcases Charles Rennie Mackintosh—the greatest exponent of the Glasgow Style—as an architect, designer, and artist, and contextualizes his production within a larger circle of designers and craftspeople in the major Scottish city. Mackintosh worked most closely with his wife, Margaret Macdonald; Margaret’s sister, Frances Macdonald; and Frances’ husband, James Herbert McNair. They met as students at the progressive Glasgow School of Art in 1892 and together were known as The Four.
Combining influences from the Arts and Crafts movement, Celtic Revival, and Japonism, Glasgow artists created their own modern design aesthetic, synonymous with sleek lines and emphatic geometries expressed in a wide range of materials. The exhibition presents 165 works of fine and decorative art, including architectural drawings, books, ceramics, furniture, posters, textiles, and watercolors, drawn from Glasgow’s most significant public and private collections.
Designing the New: Charles Rennie Mackintosh and the Glasgow Style is a touring exhibition co-organized by Glasgow Museums and the American Federation of Arts. The exhibition comprises works from the collections of Glasgow City Council (Museums and Collections), with loans from Scottish collections and private lenders. Support for the US national tour is provided by the Dr. Lee MacCormick Edwards Charitable Foundation.
Exhibition panels and labels
Enjoy these family activities relating to Designing the New.
Exhibition dates are subject to change.
Platinum sponsor
Hospitality sponsor
Education and community engagement supporter
Education and community engagement supporter
Supported in part by
We gratefully acknowledge the generosity of these donors in bringing Designing the New to the Frist Art Museum:
The Glasgow Roses ($1,500+)
Ann and Frank Bumstead
Devine Majors Foundation
Susan H. Edwards
Kevin Hickman
Mr. and Mrs. R. Milton Johnson
Carol and Howard Kirshner
Tom and Darlene Klaritch
Paul and Dana Latour
Delphine and Ken Roberts
Anne and Charles* Roos, in memory of Margit D. Friedrich
Judy and Steve Turner
Jan van Eys and Judith Hodges
The Peacocks ($250+)
André L. Churchwell, MD, and
Ms. Doreatha H. Churchwell
Lewis and Judy Lefkowitz
Pam Lewis
Richard and Anne Moore
Charles and Deborah Parrott
Members
John O. Colton
Crystal Churchwell Evans
Gayle and Perry Happell
Susan Shaull Hollyday
Nashville Motorcycle Repair
Hilton and Cindy Wickham
Vivian Wynn
* Deceased
This list is current as of April 16, 2021.
Exhibition gallery
Margaret Macdonald Mackintosh. The May Queen (detail), 1900. Made for the Ladies’ Luncheon Room, Miss Cranston’s Ingram Street Tearooms, Glasgow. Gesso on burlap (hessian), scrim, twine, glass beads, thread, and tin leaf, 62 1/2 x 179 7/8 in. overall. Glasgow Museums: Acquired by Glasgow Corporation as part of the Ingram Street Tearooms, 1950. © CSG CIC Glasgow Museums Collection. Courtesy American Federation of Arts
Charles Rennie Mackintosh (designer). Pendant light from the Ladies’ Luncheon Room, Miss Cranston’s Ingram Street Tearooms, ca. 1900–1901. 1900. Copper, aluminum, and leaded glass, 9 1/2 x 14 5/8 x 14 5/8 in. Glasgow Museums: Acquired by Glasgow Corporation as part of the Ingram Street Tearooms, 1950. © CSG CIC Glasgow Museums Collection. Courtesy American Federation of Arts
Charles Rennie Mackintosh. The Glasgow School of Art: east and west elevations, June 1907. Pencil, ink, and wash on linen, 27 x 38 1/2 in. Glasgow City Archives: Glasgow Dean of Guild Court. © CSG CIC Glasgow Museums and Libraries Collections. Courtesy American Federation of Arts
Charles Rennie Mackintosh (designer); Alex Martin (maker). Chair, first designed for the writing desk for The Hill House, 1904–5. Ebonized wood with modern upholstery, 43 3/4 x 16 x 19 7/8 in. Glasgow Museums: Given by Mr. W. Sommerville Shanks, RSA, 1940. © CSG CIC Glasgow Museums Collection. Courtesy American Federation of Arts
Frances Macdonald, Margaret Macdonald, and James Herbert McNair (designers). Poster for The Glasgow Institute of the Fine Arts, ca. 1895. Lithographic print on four joined sheets of paper, 10 x 46 3/8 x 3/4 in. framed. Glasgow Museums: Given by Mrs. Alice Talwin Morris, 1939. © CSG CIC Glasgow Museums Collection. Courtesy American Federation of Arts
Charles Rennie Mackintosh. Port Vendres—La Ville, ca. 1925–26. Pencil and watercolor on paper, 18 x 18 in. Glasgow Museums: Bought from the Mackintosh Memorial Exhibition, 1933. © CSG CIC Glasgow Museums Collection. Courtesy American Federation of Arts
Resources
