English
Tate has received a major gift of 50 artworks documenting the artistic relationship between Britain and India during the 18th and 19th centuries. British academic and Indian art expert Charles Greig donated the collection outright, covering oil paintings, watercolors, and miniatures by artists who lived and worked in India during that period. Tate described the donation as an “entirely philanthropic act,” noting that Greig made the gift without using any tax incentives.
A Collection Built Over Four Decades
Greig spent 40 years assembling the collection. It features Indian artists such as Sita Ram and Ghulam Ali Khan, both of whom built careers serving the new market created by British East India Company officials. The collection also includes European and British artists, among them Johan Zoffany, Rudolf Swoboda, William Hodges, Thomas Daniell, and William Daniell.
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In a statement, Greig explained the purpose behind his collecting. “The main focus of my collection was an exploration of the deep and intricate relationship between Britain and the Indian subcontinent through the entwined complexities of the artistic encounter,” he said. He added that most of the works predate photography, making them a rare visual record of shared history from around 1770. Despite his lifelong dedication, Greig said he always saw himself as “a temporary steward” rather than a permanent owner.
Significant Individual Works in the Donation
Several pieces in the collection carry particular historical importance. German painter Johan Zoffany’s Portrait of Prince Jawan Bakht (also known as Jahandar Shah), completed in 1784, becomes one of only three portraits of individual Indian sitters by Zoffany held in UK public collections.
Austrian painter Rudolf Swoboda’s Sepoy in HH Maharaja Srinagar’s Indian Regiment, 23 Years Old, painted in 1886 for Queen Victoria, enters a British museum collection for the first time. Meanwhile, three watercolors by Sita Ram blend Indian artistic traditions with European visual languages, reflecting the cross-cultural exchange that defines the collection as a whole.
A Permanent Home at Tate Britain
Greig expressed strong satisfaction that the works will remain together and accessible to the public. “These works encompass a unique cross-cultural discourse,” he said. “It seems to me vital that they are preserved intact to be enjoyed and studied by all mankind. A collection built on a life of study deserves to be universally accessible, and I am profoundly happy to see these works find a permanent home at Tate.”
Tate Britain director Alex Farquharson welcomed the donation as a meaningful addition to the national collection. He said the museum is “always looking to tell new and different stories about Britain’s role in international art history.” He added that Greig’s gift will “significantly strengthen our holdings of art produced in the British Empire and broaden the range of people and histories represented in the national collection.”
Tate plans to exhibit the Charles Greig collection at Tate Britain in 2028.
