Broughton House is an 18th century home on the High Stret in Kirkcudbright in Scotland. The house is special because it was the home of Scottish impressionist artist E.A. Hornel (considered to be one of the "Glasgow Boys") from 1901 to 1933. created the Japanese-inspired gardens at the house. Currently, the house is maintained by the National Trust for Scotland to showcase the work of the artwork and some of his collection.
Hornel travelled to Japan in the 1890s and produced thirty paintings that were exhibited in Glasgow in 1895. He used the earnings from the exhibit to buy the house, and he lived there with his sister for over thirty years; his sister continued to live there until her death in 1950. Hornel often travelled to the far east and brought back items to use in his paintings. He also collected rare books, and his collection of Robert Burns books is the largest collection in any one place.
Hornel wished for his home to be turned into a gallery, so his home is set up as how it would have been in the 1920s/1930s with a gallery and exhibition space for a modern artist. The house was not fully open due to the pandemic when I visited. The first room to enter was the dining room. This room was turned into a library after Hornel lived in it. Some works by Hornel and other possessions of the artist are on display in the room.
The library is the room that was the least touched and looks more as Hornel left it. It contains many rare books, such as ones by Robert Burns. Hornel started to collect books in 1919, and around 15,000 are in the collection.
Another room on the ground floor contained a little exhibition of items from the 1920s that were staples in the house. There was a sewing room with information about how people would create and mend their own clothing.
The shelf above contains a set of scales. It would have been bolted to the floor, so the mirror is used to read what it says without having to bend down. The circular object is a stoneware bed warmer that would leak if not tightened up properly. Other items in this cabinet are medicines and soaps.
The above shelf contains marmalade jars, chocolate tins, and tins of tea or cooking stock cubes.
The next room is the current gift shop and entrance hall. This was the traditional reception hall, and it contains some items that Hornel purchased from China (ceramics) and Sri Lanka (brass lighting). The antlers are from Hornel's hunting trips.
The gallery was constructed in 1910 as the primary exhibition space for Hornel's paintings. The paintings were painted from photographs. Hornel photographed many local children to get different poses, and he used these poses in his paintings.
The room also contains plaster casts of the Parthenon friezes, and these are arranged around the room.
Down a set of stairs is an exhibition area by an artist inspired by Hornel's work, and behind this small exhibition is an exhibition of some of Hornel's unfinished work.
Further along are display cabinets with information about the artist's travels, including some of the items that he picked up along the way to use in his artwork.
Another room contains some dishes from China with a legend. The legend may have been created to sell the dishes. It was mass-produced to sell to the western market and is called "The Family Friend" about two lovers who elope.
The barrel-vaulted cellars at Broughton House were actually from another house that stood on the site of the present day Broughton House, so they are actually older than the house iteself.
The gardens at Broughton House include stone items that were collected at various places that Hornel visited. It was laid out as a Japanese garden and has views over the harbour at Kirkcudbright.
The resident cat, Tizzy, was very friendly and came over for cuddles and attention. She loved the attention and went around to everyone in the garden to seek attention.
I enjoyed my visit to Broughton House and Gardens, and it is a place to return to so that I can see the rest of the house once it is fully reopened.
Leave a comment