Collection: Government Art Collection

Collection-level records:

• Collection history (Collection development policy)

  From its informal foundation by ministerial memo back in 1899, the Government Art Collection, known under this name since 1981, has sought to acquire works of art for display in Government buildings, today showcasing the UK’s commitment to culture in the context of diplomacy.

  Before 1899, works of art were acquired on an ad-hoc basis by Government departments as bequests, purchases, gifts or as loans from national collections. Responsibility for the furnishings of government buildings was transferred from the Office of the Lord Chamberlain to the Office of Works in 1828, and works of art generally came to be included in this arrangement, although this varied between departments: Department of the Environment (1970); Office of Arts and Libraries (1979), Department of National Heritage (1992), Department of Culture, Media and Sport (1997) and, finally, Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport (2016).

  The Foreign Office’s recognition of the benefits of displaying works of art in diplomatic posts abroad to promote Britain led to the Treasury, in 1935, allocating an annual sum of £250 for acquisitions of works of art. This initiative led to the establishment of the first ‘Overseas Picture Committee’ who advised on acquisitions and encouraged the purchase of historical works primarily.

   

  There was no strategic collecting policy until 1945, when the Collection’s first curator was appointed and a new Picture Committee was set up, represented by the directors of the national galleries. It was during this time that the Collection’s acquisition policy was developed and funds were allocated for purchasing modern works of art. This direction continued over the years enriching the Collection with works by living artists and leading to a strategy of commissioning site-specific works for British embassies from 1949.

  Today, the Collection comprises upwards of 14,000 works of art and is the most widely dispersed collection of British art. As an accredited Museum since 2010, it continues to grow, capturing the talent and interests of each generation. Adapting and reflecting the world around it, the ambition of the Government Art Collection is to continue to challenge and acknowledge its historical roots whilst acquiring new works that reflect contemporary British society. Currently the Collection is on show in 361 locations in 129 countries. The Government Art Collection has a commitment to public engagement through digital platforms, loans and partnership projects.

  Source: Collection development policy

  Date: 2020

  Licence: CC BY-NC

• Collection overview (Collection development policy)

  Primary Collection

  These works form the core Collection and are recorded as DCMS assets.

  • Works acquired by the Collection’s current governing body, the Department for Culture, Media and Sport and by preceding governing bodies.
  • Works donated or bequeathed to the Collection either individually or in groups.
  • Works transferred to the Collection from other Government departments.

  Secondary Collection

  Works for which the Government Art Collection does not have formal title but for a variety of reasons provides an advisory role in the care, display, interpretation of and access to works owned by other Government departments.

  • Works absorbed into the Collection having been inherited with a particular building acquired by the Government.
  • Works purchased through the agency of the Government Art Collection with dedicated funds by other Government departments, separate from the DCMS or its precursors, for display in a particular building.
  • Works acquired by other Government departments and later accessioned by the Government Art Collection for tracking purposes (based on the quality of the work of art).
  • Works, the exact provenance of which is unknown, already located in Government buildings and accessioned by the Government Art Collection. These items are cared for and used by the GAC until/unless a third party who can prove title to the work is known.
  • State Portraits (copies of official royal portraits commissioned by the Government in the 19th and 20th centuries) for display in Government buildings.

  Tertiary Collection

  • Photographically produced reproductions, not counted in Government Art Collection statistics. Archive Collection
  • Materials associated with works in the Collection, for example maquettes.

  Source: Collection development policy

  Date: 2020

  Licence: CC BY-NC