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Kelvingrove Art Gallery and Museum
Argyle Street, Glasgow G3 8AG
0141 276 9599
museums@glasgowlife.org.uk
Text Phone:  0141 276 9500
Fax: 0141 276 9540

OPENING HOURS

Monday to Thursday and Saturday 10am–5pm Friday and Sunday 11am–5pm

The Artistic Optician - John Quinton Pringle

Looking at Art

The little known Glasgow artist John Quinton Pringle (1864-1925) had an optician's​ business in the city centre. But his main passion was art. 

He attended part-time classes at the School of Art and won several prizes for drawing.

Pringle developed an astounding miniaturistic technique. He often applied paint in a spotty manner, which has puzzled historians and defied any positive explanation.

He rarely exhibited his work. And he gave away many of his paintings as presents. 

Pringle also abandoned some paintings unfinished when he felt he could take them no further. 

These are displayed unframed, as if to show the artist at work.​

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