One national collection / Over 15,000 works of art / Displayed in over 125 countries

In celebration of Women’s History month, guest writer Riya Kumar has chosen five works of art from the Collection that play with ideas of women’s absence and presence, and shed light on moments of their resistance, reclamation and collectivity.

Celebrate Women’s History Month with three works recently added to the collection by female artists who are shaping the face of British art.

To mark February's LGBTQ+ History Month, let's take a look at a few historical examples in the Collection which illustrate attitudes and perceptions of queer relationships and gender in early modern England.

An artist whose work recently became part of the Government Art Collection, Rita Keegan is a key but overlooked figure in the history of Black British art. Keegan talks about her childhood, her start as an artist and how her identity has shaped the art she creates.

We sat down with artist Christopher Samuel to discuss art and access for Disability History Month.

In 2008, Lucian Freud came to the headquarters of the Government Art Collection to revisit his work Welsh Landscape, painted between 1939 and 1940.

The Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office is responsible for protecting and promoting the UK’s interests worldwide. In 2022, new works of art from the Government Art Collection went up on the walls of its iconic building in London.

Celebrate South Asian Heritage Month (17 July – 18 August) with artworks in the Collection by artists from the South Asian diaspora.

75 years ago, Sir Horace Phillips – the first British Jewish career ambassador – entered the diplomatic service. A new display of works from the Government Art Collection in the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office celebrates his life and career.