What is the Government Art Collection?
Why does the Government have an art collection? What does it collect? Why is the Collection spread across the world?
Where can I see the Collection?
Find out where you can see the Government Art Collection, through loans to exhibitions and collections across the UK.
Work with us
Interested in working for the Government Art Collection? Find out more about our current vacancies.
Number 10 Museum in Residence: Laing Art Gallery
Every year, the Government Art Collection showcases the collection of a gallery outside London in 10 Downing Street. This year’s display comes from the Laing Art Gallery in Newcastle.
Explore the Collection
Discover stories from the Collection
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Women artists shaping British art
Celebrate Women’s History Month with three works recently added to the collection by female artists who are shaping the face of British art.
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Identities, disguises and hidden love stories
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.
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Rita Keegan: ‘We humans have a desire to collect’
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.
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Art questions with… Christopher Samuel
We sat down with artist Christopher Samuel to discuss art and access for Disability History Month.
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A closer look: Lucian Freud’s Welsh Landscape
In 2008, Lucian Freud came to the headquarters of the Government Art Collection to revisit his work Welsh Landscape, painted between 1939 and 1940.
Explore art displays around the world
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A Life Livelier: British art and diplomacy in Costa Rica
23 artworks from the Collection hang on the walls of the British Ambassador’s Residence in San José. From historical prints to modern and contemporary art, the new display gives us an insight into the cultural and diplomatic connections between the UK and Costa Rica.
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Eye of the Sultan: a new display for Ankara
During the 18th century, diplomatic relations between the UK and Turkey were formalised. A new display of works of art in the British Ambassador’s Residence in Ankara tells the story of this historic engagement, and follows the countries' shared histories.
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‘Sentimental meanderings’: a new display in Berne
Diplomatic relations between the UK and Switzerland were established in the early 19th century.
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A global reception: the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office
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.
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Journeys of the heart: the UK and the Holy See
2022 marked 40 years of full diplomatic relations between the UK and The Holy See.
