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The Hunterian at the University of Glasgow is delighted to announce a substantial gift of 18th- and 19th-century paintings by some of Scotland’s most significant historical artists, enriching our nationally Recognised art collection.

Ten works from the John Shaw Collection have been generously donated by Dr Kiran Mazumdar-Shaw in memory of her late husband John Shaw, a distinguished graduate of the University of Glasgow (MA 1970).

The collection includes notable paintings by leading figures such as Allan Ramsay and Henry Raeburn, offering meaningful connections to the University’s teaching and research, the history of The Hunterian and its collections, and wider opportunities for public engagement.

Among the highlights is a striking and unusual portrait by Henry Raeburn, dated circa 1815, of an unknown young Indian woman.

"Though her identity remains unknown, it is compelling to consider she may have been of Anglo-Indian heritage and may have been present in Scotland during a time when Raeburn was primarily painting male figures of the Scottish Enlightenment," explains Dr Lola Sanchez-Jauregui Alpanes, Art Curator at The Hunterian.

"This work opens up conversations about the complex social, cultural, political, and economic ties between Britain and Asia during that period, as well as new aspects of Raeburn’s female portraiture."

Also included in the gift is a portrait of an unnamed woman by George Henry – an influential member of the Glasgow School – marking the twelfth of his works in The Hunterian collection.

“The painting reflects his interest in the interplay between figure, fashion and intricately composed backgrounds. A decorative bust-length work, it reveals the lasting impact of Henry’s transformative trip to Japan in 1892,” adds Anne Dulau, Curator of French and British Art at The Hunterian.

"Other works in our growing collection of 1890s works by Henry include Japanese Pottery Seller, Japanese Beauty and Girl with Red Hair.”

John Shaw, who came from a middle-class Glasgow background, went on to build an international career with Coats, the Paisley-based thread manufacturer. A passionate collector of Scottish art, Shaw assembled his collection allowing him to remain connected to his homeland wherever he was.

The gift to The Hunterian complements worldwide philanthropic investments made by Mazumdar Shaw Philanthropy supporting education, research, innovation and the arts.

Encouraged and joined by his wife Dr Kiran Mazumdar-Shaw, they together donated $7.5 million towards the construction of the Advanced Research Centre in 2004. John and Kiran’s extraordinary gift is one of the largest ever received by the University, enabling the development of cutting-edge facilities and research.

Professor Steph Scholten, Director of The Hunterian, said:

“The Hunterian has been at the heart of Glasgow’s cultural landscape for over 200 years and is incredibly grateful to Kiran Mazumdar-Shaw for her generosity.”

"John was not only a friend, supporter and alumnus of the University – he was a proud member of our community and a dedicated collector of Scottish art. Now, key works from his collection will continue to inspire curiosity, learning and innovation by fellow University of Glasgow students, staff, Glaswegians and many others.”

"As The Hunterian enters a new phase of transformation, we are committed to showcasing the very best of our collections while addressing the urgencies of today’s complex world in partnership with our communities and in continued collaboration with the Mazumdar-Shaw family."

^{Images: 1. Henry Raeburn, Portrait of an Unknown Young Indian Woman, c. 1815.  2. George Henry, Portrait of a Lady, c. 1892. 3. John Shaw and Dr Kiran Mazumdar-Shaw.} 

 

 

 

 

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Further Information

For further information or images contact: Harriet Gaston, Communications Manager, The Hunterian.

Notes to Editors

The Hunterian

The oldest public museum in Scotland, with collections spanning arts, sciences and humanities, The Hunterian is at the forefront of university museums around the world. Since it opened at the University of Glasgow in 1807, The Hunterian has been an invaluable academic and community resource and in years to come, The Hunterian is committed to becoming a more meaningful place for more diverse audiences.

As a university gallery and museum, The Hunterian creates space for intellectual inquiry and a process of learning and experimentation. The Hunterian collection’s Enlightenment history made a repository of knowledge that materialises the problematic history of Western modernity and its fundamentally colonial and capitalist underpinnings. The founding collection came through the bequest of Dr William Hunter (1718–83) and since The Hunterian opened at the University of Glasgow in 1807, the collections have been developed in ways that reflect our city’s deep relationship with empire, transatlantic slavery, colonialism and migration. 

The Hunterian cares for some Scotland’s finest collections that cover subjects as diverse as the history of medicine, zoology and art. The whole collection is ‘Recognised’ as nationally significant in Scotland and includes outstanding Roman artefacts from the Antonine Wall; vast natural and life science collections; scientific instruments used by James Watt, Joseph Lister and Lord Kelvin; one of the world’s greatest collections of coins and medals and objects and belongings brought to Glasgow from around the world during hundreds of years of trade, empire, exploitation and migration. 

The Hunterian is also home to one of the most distinguished public art collections in Scotland and features works by James McNeill Whistler, the Glasgow Boys and Scottish Colourists, the largest single holding of the work of artists Margaret MacDonald and Charles Rennie Mackintosh, along with The Mackintosh House, the reassembled interiors from their Glasgow home. The Hunterian has also developed an important collection of works by leading contemporary artists including Christine Borland, Lucy Skaer and Adam Pendleton.

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First published: 19 August 2025