The Fleming Collection

The collection began in 1968 at the instigation of the Scottish banking firm Robert Fleming & Co., founded in Dundee, Scotland. In 1968 the bank moved to a new building in Corsby Square in the City of London and art began to be bought for the purpose of decorating the space. The task of directing the art purchasing was given singularly to one of the bank's directors, David Donald. The only guideline given was that the paintings should be by Scottish artists or of Scottish scenes by any artists, to emphasise the bank's proud Scottish origins. Scottish art was largely unknown outside Scotland until the 1980s, making prices relatively low, meaning that a large collection was amassed in a short…

In March 2000, Flemings bank was sold to Chase Manhattan Bank, New York. To ensure the Collection was not lost, the Fleming family put forward the funds to enable a new charitable foundation, the Fleming-Wyfold Art Foundation, to purchase the collection at market value before the sale. The collection was moved to a newly designed gallery on Berkeley Street in 2002. Over 14 years the gallery displayed a revolving series of exhibitions based on works from the Collection along with loans in, acting as a showcase for Scottish art in London. The Foundation also continued to lend works from the Fleming Collection to exhibitions internationally. In June 2010, a second gallery was opened within the…