The Government Art Collection has been in existence for over a century. Its origins lie in an agreement made in 1898 which gave responsibility for the care of all works of art displayed in British Government buildings across the world to the Office (later Ministry) of Works. A further responsibility was added in 1907, when HM Treasury allotted up to £300 a year to purchase paintings of historical or official interest for the decoration of public buildings and offices in London.

Ada, Countess of Lovelace (1815-1852) was the daughter of Lord Byron. She was a mathematician who helped Charles Babbage in his work on mechanical computers. The programming language ADA is named after her. This portrait of Ada was painted by Margaret Carpenter (1793-1872), a successful female artist, in 1836.

By the early 1930s it was recognised that Ambassadors no longer had the substantial means of their predecessors and could not furnish their official residences from their own personal art collections. Following the example of other countries, such as France and Italy, HM Treasury made funds available for this purpose, authorising in 1935 the sum of £250 per year for the purchase of paintings for overseas posts.

During the Second World War both the home and overseas grants lapsed, but the purchase scheme was revived in 1946 with the appointment of the first professional curator. Lobbying for increased funding continued over the next few decades, reaching a peak of £100,000 in the early 1970s.

A Carter and His Horse by Joan Eardley (1921-63), purchased in 1952. This is an early work by the artist, who spent most of her life in Scotland - in Glasgow and later in the north-eastern Scottish fishing village of Catterline. It was painted in about 1950 and is one of many oil studies that she made of the people in the deprived area of Glasgow in which she lived.

An Advisory Committee, made up of the directors of the national galleries, was set up in 1937 to assist the Ministry in the purchase of works of art. After the Second World War the Committee was reconstituted and has met regularly ever since. The Committee felt that it was important to buy works of art for diplomatic posts abroad which were of a sufficient quality to promote British art and culture. This representational role remains central to the present activities of the Government Art Collection.

Conoid, Sphere and Hollow II is one of several works made by Barbara Hepworth (1903-1975) during the 1930s consisting of three forms; she later said that she was "absorbed in the relationships in space ... as well as the tensions between the forms". The sculpture has been shown in many exhibitions in Britain, France and Germany.

At different phases in its history the acquisition policy of the Collection has shifted in emphasis. At some periods the concentration has been on acquiring traditional or popular works catering for a wide range of tastes. At other times priority was given to purchasing good examples of modern art, which were occasionally perceived as being a more acquired or advanced taste. This concept of two-tier purchasing explains the mixed nature of the Collection as it is today. Works purchased now are chosen primarily on the basis of their artistic merit, but also on occasions because of their strong historical link with a location. The appropriateness of the subject matter is also considered and there is more emphasis upon acquiring works of art that demonstrate connections between the UK and the foreign countries where the work may be placed. Close attention is paid, however, to the long-term maintenance and conservation of a work, which means that fewer watercolours (which are particularly sensitive to light conditions) have been purchased over the past twenty years.

Although few watercolours have been purchased recently, this painting View of the Tagus and Tower of Belém from the British Legation, Lisbon by George Lennard Lewis was acquired for a location with acceptably low light levels. It is on display in the British Embassy in Lisbon, where this watercolour was originally painted.

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