The Royal College of Art (RCA) Collection is an invaluable resource of over 1,000 works that represent significant developments in British painting from the middle years of the last century to the present day. The collection is made up of works donated by painting graduates and staff. Examples include works by Frank Auerbach, Edward Bawden (not in oils), Peter Blake, Patrick Caulfield, Dinos Chapman, Tracey Emin, David Hockney, Leon Kossoff, Chris Ofili and Eric Ravilious.

The Collection began when the painter Sir William Rothenstein was appointed Principal of the RCA in 1920. The major developments were made from 1948 following the appointment of Sir Robin Darwin, who personally made several significant contributions, including works on paper by Stanley Spencer and Walter Sickert.

The Collection covers vibrant periods in the history of painting at the RCA, including works from the Kitchen Sink school of the 1950s, British Pop Art of the 1960s, and the YBAs (Young British Artists) of the late 1980s and early 1990s.

The artists represented are of historical and contemporary interest, and the RCA Collection is a significant resource for those wishing to understand the development of British painting since the 1950s.