The origins of the Government Art Collection go back to 1898, when paintings were acquired for the Whitehall offices of government departments. Since then, the scheme to place art in government offices has become much more ambitious, particularly since it was expanded in 1935 to cover UK embassies abroad. In 1961, it was named the Government Art Collection. Among the most important places where works hang are the Prime Minister’s residence at No. 10 Downing Street and ministerial offices. The art that is overseas serves to further the aims of cultural diplomacy.
The collection now comprises 14,000 works. These include 2,600 paintings (which compares with 2,700 paintings in the National Gallery and 6,600 paintings and sculptures, excluding Turner works at the Tate). The remaining 11,400 items are works on paper (mainly prints, since light-sensitive watercolours and drawings are now rarely acquired to avoid conservation problems) and a few sculptures.
The works are nearly all by British artists, although there are a few paintings made by foreigners of British subjects. They date from the 16th century to the present, with just over half made before 1900. Artists represented include Van Dyck, Hogarth, Gainsborough, Sickert, Moore, Hepworth and Freud.
Most of the works were purchased, although some have been donated, often by the artist. The current annual acquisition budget is £300,000 and a further £366,000 comes from the Department for Culture, Media and Sport for administration and care of the collection. Latest acquisitions include a portrait of Henry VIII by an unknown artist (around 1527-50) bought for £98,000, and a photograph entitled No Moon Shining (2010) donated by the artist Isaac Julien.
