The Pillared Room at 10 Downing Street © Andrew Grassie  Artist   Andrew GRASSIE Title   The Pillared Room at 10 Downing Street    Date   2002 Medium   Tempera on paper Dimensions   24(H) x 32(W) Acquisition   Commissioned from the artist, October 2002 Number   17750 Description A recurrent myth in art history is that of the painting which looks so real that it fools its onlookers into thinking it is the real thing. Since the development of photography, realistic painted images are often described as "photographic". This painting by Andrew Grassie is so faithful to perceived reality that it can be mistaken for one of the photographs from which he works. This work shows the Pillared Room at 10 Downing Street. The paintings hanging on the walls were painted to commemorate the Coronation in 1953 and were displayed in Downing Street to celebrate the Queen's Golden Jubilee in 2002. Lying on the floor is a dismantled table, suggesting this view was captured at a moment just before or after a reception. Another of Grassie's works in the Collection is his view of the Government Art Collection sculpture store. Taken together, both paintings contrast the display of art in grand settings with the banality of their storage when not displayed.