Art Collector Offers 12,000 Works Valued at $10 Million to Nation
A self-made millionaire who amassed a vast collection of Scottish art over three decades plans to gift his entire hoard, estimated at £10 million ($12.7 million), to the nation.
Peter Shaw, the son of a Lanarkshire coal miner, has curated a collection of approximately 12,000 artworks, with an estimated value of £10 million. Shaw, who has kept his passion largely out of the public eye, now intends to gift his entire collection to the nation.
His collection features works by renowned artists such as Sir Henry Raeburn and George Leslie Hunter, alongside contemporary artists like John Byrne and Peter Howson. Despite his extensive holdings, Shaw has reportedly kept no art displayed in his own home.
Shaw's journey to becoming a significant art collector began after he left his coal mining background. He has spent three decades amassing these treasures, transforming himself from a working-class son into a patron of the arts. The scale of his collection has led to him being described as having built the world's finest collection of Scottish art.