Swingeing London '67

This work was Hamilton's response to the arrest and trial of Mick Jagger from the Rolling Stones and Hamilton's art dealer, Robert Fraser who were given 'swingeing' sentences by a judge for possession and use of illegal drugs as a deterrent to others. The title is also a pun on London's reputation in the 1960s as a 'swinging' city. This work is part of the Wilson Gift - the result of a passion for collecting that Professor Sir Colin St John Wilson likened to 'a lifelong addiction' and represents an important step in the gallery's development. This gift of 679 works, which complements the important Hussey and Kearley bequests (the latter also made via the Art Fund), brings the gallery's holdings up to date, enabling it to present one of the best collections of modern British art anywhere in the world.