George Stubbs Cheetah and Stag with Two Indians
Sidney Nolan Woman and Billabong 1957
The Singh Twins EnTWINed 2009 Museum of London
Johan Zoffany
Colonel Mordaunt’s Cock Match
(c.1784–6)
Tate
Elizabeth Butler (Lady Butler)
The Remnants of an Army
(1879)
Tate
Anonymous Delhi School, Mahadaji Sindhia entertaining a British naval officer and military officer with a Nautch c.1815-20
Jamini Roy Santhal Drummers
Rudolf Swoboda, Bakshiram 1886
Rudolf Swoboda Muhammad Hussain 1886
Youruba or Saro, Nigeria Queen Victoria
Hausa, Northern Nigeria, Leatherwork panel depicting colonial scenes c1940
John Thomas The Siege of Enniskillen Castle 1593
James Sant Captain Colin Mackenzie c1842–1844
John Griffiths
A Sannyasi - A Religious Mendicant
(exhibited 1882)
Tate
Sir John Everett Millais, Bt
The North-West Passage
(1874)
Tate
In 21st century Britain, ‘empire’ is highly provocative. Its histories of war, conquest and slavery are difficult and painful to address but its legacy is everywhere and affects us all. Artist and Empire brings together extraordinary and unexpected works to explore how artists from Britain and around the world have responded to the dramas, tragedies and experiences of the Empire.
Featuring a vast array of objects from collections across Britain, including maps, flags, paintings, photographs, sculptures and artefacts, the exhibition examines how the histories of the British Empire have shaped art past and present. Contemporary works within the exhibition suggest that the ramifications of the Empire are far from over.
The show raises questions about ownership, authorship and how the value and meanings of these diverse objects have changed through history, it also asks what they still mean to us today.
Historic works by artists such as Joshua Reynolds and George Stubbs are shown with objects including Indian miniatures and Maori artefacts, as well as contemporary works by Hew Locke and Sonia Boyce. Through this variety of artworks from a complex mix of traditions, locations and cultures the fragmented history of the Empire can be told.
Watch the short film
In this short film Shami Chakrabarti discusses Simon van de Passe's portrait of Pocahontas:
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Awe-inspiring, exciting and provocative, 5 stars
The GuardianA genuinely interesting and absorbing show
Evening StandardMesmerising, 4 Stars
Time Out
Banner image credits: Royal Collection Trust/© Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II 2015