The_East_Offering_its_Riches_to_Britannia
The East Offering its Riches to Britannia
Painting by Spiridione Roma
The East Offering its Riches to Britannia is an oil painting created by Spyridon Romas. Romas was a Greek painter from the island of Corfu active from 1745 to 1786 in Corfu, Lecce, Livorno, and London. He was a painter of the Heptanese School and later adopted the English style of painting. The painter migrated to London in 1770 and remained in the region for the rest of his life. Roughly twenty-five of his works survived. Romas painted several portraits in London but also maintained art. The painter's most well-known work is The East Offering its Riches to Britannia.[1][2][3]
Colonialism was very popular starting around 1500 until the end of World War II. By 1800, Europeans controlled roughly 35% of the world, and by 1914, they controlled 84% of the world.[4] The British Empire at its height was the largest empire in history. Its domination began around 1500 and by 1913, the British Empire had dominion of over 23 per cent of the world population or about 412 million people.[5] The painting commissioned by the East India Company was a tribute to the British Empire. The East India Company offers its riches to Britannia. The painting symbolizes the British Empire's imperial colonial domination over the world.
Paintings depicting colonization were a popular theme among painters during the period of colonization. Italian painter originally from Venice Giovanni Battista Tiepolo completed many such works, one important example depicting Spanish Colonialism was Wealth and Benefits of the Spanish Monarchy under Charles III.[6] Dutch Colonialism was depicted in two works, one created by Dutch painter Pieter Isaacsz entitled the Harpsichord Lid showing an Allegory of Amsterdam as the Centre of World Trade and another painted by Dutch painter Willem de Poorter entitled Allegory of Colonial Power.[7] The East Offering its Riches to Britannia falls under the period of English neoclassicism. The painting was in the Revenue Committee Room of the East India House in London. The building was demolished and its contents were moved to the British Library,[8][9] however the painting now hangs on the wall of the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office.[10]