We select and place works of art from the Collection in major British Government buildings in the United Kingdom and around the world both to promote Britain and to reflect its history, culture and creativity in the visual arts. They are seen and enjoyed by thousands of visitors to these buildings every year.

The Collection, which has been developed over the past 100 years, contains works of art by a wide range of artists, which together show the vibrancy and variety of British artistic life and heritage. These works are primarily by British artists, and they range from the sixteenth century to the present day. We purchase and commission new works of art with the guidance and expertise of an experienced committee.

Works of art by artists (from left) Ronald Moody, Chris Ofili and Seamus Nicolson are shown here displayed in the office of David Lammy, the Minister for Culture

Works from the Collection are displayed in the offices and reception rooms of several hundred major British Government buildings in the United Kingdom and around the world. In London these include 10 Downing Street and the Foreign & Commonwealth Office. Abroad they include the official Residences and Embassy buildings in locations as diverse as Paris, Washington, Moscow, Tokyo, Beijing, Pretoria, Canberra and New Delhi.

Loans to Temporary Exhibitions

Whenever possible, we lend works of art to public exhibitions, both in the UK and abroad. Current and forthcoming loans include William Hodges's View of a Mosque at Raj Mahal, India to 'William Hodges: The Art of Exploration', an exhibition held at the National Maritime Museum, London, and touring to New Haven and Auckland; and Walter Sickert's La Giuseppina to 'Walter Sickert: Drawing is the Thing' at Southampton City Art Gallery and the Ulster Museum in Belfast.

This charming, informal portrait of Jane Anne Inglis (née Mason) is by John Constable. Although better known for his landscape paintings of English country scenes, Constable was also an accomplished portrait painter. This work was lent to the major exhibition of Constable's work selected by Lucian Freud, held at the Grand Palais, Paris, in 2002.

Advisory Committee

The role of the Advisory Committee is to advise on the acquisition and commissioning of works of art and on the policy and stewardship of the Collection. The Committee meets three times a year, and members are not remunerated.

The current members of the Advisory Committee on the Government Art Collection are: