Paintings from Parliamentary Art Collection exhibited online
14 December 2012 (updated on 14 December 2012)
The Parliamentary Art Collection has contributed to Your Paintings, a free online resource which displays all 212,000 of the United Kingdom’s publically owned oil paintings. The project which was completed on 13 December makes the UK the first country in the world to give such access to its national collection of paintings.
Of the approximately 8,500 works of art held by the Palace of Westminster over 650 can now be seen alongside paintings from other organisations including museums, galleries, universities and local councils.
Parliament became involved with Your Paintings over a year ago and over the last 12 months staff have been pulling together images and information about the paintings which are displayed in the Palace of Westminster and in buildings across the Parliamentary Estate.
Frank Doran, chair of the Speaker’s Advisory Committee on Works of Art, said:
"We are excited that Parliament has been able to contribute to this ambitious project. The Parliamentary Art Collection is an important living historical record of art works relating to Parliament, and we are always looking for more accessible ways to bring the collection to the public. Your Paintings is a remarkable new resource which will help us to achieve this goal."
Lord Luke, chair of the House of Lords Works of Art Committee, said:
"Through the Your Paintings website many more people will be able to view the fascinating collection of paintings at Parliament. The Collection documents Parliament from the medieval period to the present day and a significant number of works reflect the areas around the UK which Parliament represents. I hope that the website will inspire people to visit the Palace of Westminster and view the Collection for themselves."