Great Northern Warehouse has revealed a striking artwork on offering a thought-provoking reflection on the legacy of the British Empire and its impact on modern British society. The bold painting, titled Sovereign Servant, by renowned artist Michael Browne is currently on display in 293 Deansgate, at Great Northern, overlooking Deansgate and Manchester’s Hilton hotel, having previously been exhibited at Manchester Museum.
Occupying a prime Deansgate location, the painting encourages reflection on Britain’s colonial history, economic exploitation and evolving national identity through a contemporary lens. Michael Browne is a resident artist of the Great Northern Warehouse’s thriving art collective and studio space GRIT Studios. The exhibit forms part of Great Northern Warehouse’s wider commitment to offering a space and platform for important cultural conversations through art.
Sovereign Servant is Browne’s first major piece since his renowned From Moss Side to Marseille work which featured Manchester United star Erica Cantona and ran at the National Football Museum in 2023. Browne, a Manchester-born artist, is inspired by Jean-Auguste-Dominique Ingres’ The Apotheosis of Homer creating striking modern works in a classical style. Sovereign Servant features British royal Prince William alongside an allegorical figure of the Prophet Jeremiah, Sophia Duleep Singh holding the Koh-i-Noor Diamon – which her father was forced to surrender to the East India Company -, an image of the Prophet St. Mark from the biblical story The Miracle of the Slave, and numerous other historical, clerical, royal, and military figures.
Mark Schofield, centre director for the Great Northern commented: “At Great Northern we are committed to putting art at the heart of our site, and this is the latest example of how we can do that. Michael has a studio at GRIT, the affordable art studios housed on site, and as such we are delighted to be able to showcase his through provoking work in this way.”
