LONDON.- Mercedes and Ian Stoutzker are making a major gift to Tate of a group of pre-eminent British works from their collection, which is one of the leading collections of British Art.

The donated works are:

• Hurvin Anderson, Maracus 111 2004
• Peter Doig, Untitled (snow scene)
• Jacob Epstein, Lucian Freud 1947
• Lucian Freud, Girl in a Striped dress, or Celia 1983-85
• David Hockney, Savings and Loan Building 1966
• RB Kitaj, Synchromy with F.B. - General of Hot Desire 1968-69
• George Shaw, Ash Wednesday, 8.30 am 2004-05
• Conrad Shawcross, Maquette for Continuum 2004
• Rachel Whiteread, Maquette for Trafalgar Square Plinth 1999

This is a major gift to the Tate Collection of works which will significantly enhance key areas in the representation of twentieth-century British art. The works will go on show at Tate Britain later this year and thereafter will allow Tate to strengthen its displays in many ways, both in London and elsewhere.

Nicholas Serota said: ‘Gifts and bequests from major collectors are the foundation of the national collection of modern and contemporary art. Successive generations, from Henry Tate and Frank Stoop to Alistair McAlpine, Simon Sainsbury and Janet Wolfson de Botton have generously given works to Tate for the benefit of the public. Now, Mercedes and Ian Stoutzker join this group of distinguished benefactors. In offering a gift of nine important works, the Stoutzkers have added exemplary individual paintings by two generations of British artists and have greatly enriched the national collection of art after 1960.’

Mercedes and Ian Stoutzker
Mercedes was born in Tangier, Morocco and came to London in 1958 when she married Ian Stoutzker, a trained musician who later became a banker. She loved art and in London she had the opportunity to study and expand her knowledge and taste. She wanted to live with art and, on a very limited budget, she found that there were works by outstanding British artists which were affordable at that time. Over the years she continued to acquire works mainly by British artists and often at an early stage in their careers. Both she and Ian believe that art has an emotional dimension and that this experience should be shared by being made available in National Museums and Art Galleries.

The couple has over a long period of time supported the arts in Great Britain. Ian founded Live Music Now with Yehudi Menuhin in 1977 and has overseen its growth to become a leading outreach organisation across the UK. His most recent, of many gifts, was in 2011 to the Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama for the new concert hall, which is named after his Welsh mother, a music teacher who came from the mining town of Tredegar.

The Stoutzkers are based in Salzburg, Austria where they have lived for some years.