Our eighteenth century pictures are dominated by American artist John Singleton Copley's immense painting 'The Defeat of the Floating Batteries at Gibraltar, September 1782', which the City of London commissioned to commemorate this famous British victory. Nineteenth century and Victorian painting is a strong element within the collection, including major works by Constable, Landseer, Millais, Rossetti, Poynter and Lord Leighton.
In 1989 the City of London accepted the GLC Heritage Collection, comprising London subjects and a series of portraits of Chairmen of the LCC and GLC by the most notable portrait painters of their day, including among the modern and contemporary artists Peter Greenham and Maggi Hambling. The City of London is also responsible for the Harold Samuel Collection of seventeenth century Dutch and Flemish Paintings, which was bequeathed in 1989 by Lord Samuel of Wych Cross for permanent display in the Mansion House."> London Picture Archive