The East Offering Its Riches to Britannia by Spiridione Roma (1778). In the foreground two women, each representing parts of the world conquered by the Company, namely India and China, queue to offer goods to Britannia.
The swarthy figure representing India presents pearls, which Britannia eagerly takes up.
China offers a Ming vase, and a tea- chest is at her knees. The shadowy figures behind her are bearing bundles of raw cotton.
Mercury (Roman messenger god of "eloquence, skill and thieving") stands aloft, supervising the scene.
On the horizon in this allegorical painting, Roma depicts an East India Company ship, identifiable by its East India Company flag, the cross of St. George and stripes.
Old Father Thames sits bottom left, symbolizing London, and London s power. An anonymous commentary: The painting is fascinating as an object of historical analysis in particular for what it says about imperialism generally and British imperialism of the late eighteenth century specifically. The painting dates from about the time Britain lost America but was beginning to establish itself as the dominant power in India. The image was painted on the ceiling of a room of the building occupied by the East India Company. The seated figure is Britannia helping herself to the wealth placed before her by an Indian woman. Note the aloof and slightly supercilious look on Britannia s face. Directing the tribute bearers is Mercury, the Roman messenger god. This may suggest divine sanction, a recurring theme in most imperial ideologies including that of the British Empire. The choice of a Roman god may also recall the Roman Empire and make a claim on behalf of the British Empire as a kind of successor. The look on Mercury s face as he gazes upon the subjects of empire does not seem too friendly, once again suggesting where the favor of the gods lay or indeed did not lie. The lion seated beneath Britannia is a symbol on Britain and British power and also gazes in an intimidating manner at the Indian woman holding up the basket of jewels. The Indian woman bearing tribute seems cowed down, resigned and generally not too happy perhaps accurately reflecting how the subjects of Empire felt about things. Intriguingly, the tribute bearers include a Chinese woman. At this particular time, China was not under British domination. One can therefore take the inclusion of the Chinese among the tribute bearers as a statement of future intention. The old man seated to the left is the River Thames looking quite relaxed and even a little indifferent to what is going on pperhaps implying the almost natural character of what was going on (another leitmotif of imperial ideology). Why Britannia is shown with part of her upper body uncovered and India shown with her entire upper body uncovered may be explained in terms of the artistic conventions of the time in allegorical depictions of women, once again harking back to conventions of Greco- Roman art as also seen in the nudity of the two principal male figures. It is sometimes said that the British acquired their empire in a fit of absent mindedness. The evidence as shown in this painting, dating from a time when the British imperial expansion in India was really just beginning may, however, suggest that the early founders of the British Empire were not absent minded at all but knew exactly what they wanted.
Neptune Resigning to Britannia the Empire of the Sea (1847)
She is equivalent to the United States Columbia
Columbia Lady Liberty has replaced Columbia as American personification; American received her from France in the form of the Statue of Liberty
In 16th century England began to outdo her rivals; there was a struggle between Spain, Portugal, Dutch, France and England for commercial and naval supremacy. Britain s advantages: Geographical position as an island, seafaring nation, large and superior sea- going community. Establishment of trading links and acquisition of new territories were common interests, British government supported by private enterprise. England gave up her conflicts with European rivals to focus on overseas expansion. Trade was the most influential motivation of colonization in order to gain enrichments; trading companies got privileges of setting in overseas countries taxation and administration followed (e.g. East India Company 1600, Virginia Company 1606). The so called First Empire (1600-1776) ended with the loss of the 13 American colonies in the War of Independence.