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Following the significant gift of ten paintings from the John Shaw Collection to The Hunterian by his widow, Dr Kiran Mazumdar-Shaw, a further selection of works will be sold at auction to benefit the University of Glasgow.

The impressive group of paintings belonged to one of Scotland's best-known art collectors, Dr John Shaw, who died three years ago. They will be sold live online and in Edinburgh by Lyon & Turnbull, on Wednesday 1 October 2025.

The auction, A Glasgow Legacy: Selected Paintings from the John Shaw Collection, features over 150 paintings carefully selected over three decades. These are being offered to benefit Shaw’s alma mater, the University of Glasgow.

From Sir Henry Raeburn and Allan Ramsay through to Stephen Conroy and John Cunningham, the collection reflects Dr Shaw's love of portraiture, landscapes, marine scenes, and depictions of Scottish life.

Raeburn's Double Portrait of Mrs Graham Young and Her Child, which has an estimate of between £10,000 and £15,000, is one of the highlights of the sale.

Dr Shaw, who was born in Glasgow, went to Glasgow High School before completing an MA (Hons) degree in History and Political Economy at the University of Glasgow in 1970.

He joined Coats Paton Ltd of Paisley as a management trainee and went on to have a 30-year career with the company, working and travelling across the world.

While based in Bangalore, Shaw met Kiran Mazumdar, the founder of India’s largest biopharmaceutical company, Biocon Limited. They married in Scotland in 1998 and became business partners, building Biocon from its beginnings in Kiran's garage to a globally renowned company finding new and affordable ways to treat a range of diseases.

Over 30 years of collecting, Dr Shaw acquired a wide range of works, including paintings by artists Sir Thomas Lawrence, Sir John Lavery, E.A. Walton, William McTaggart, James Guthrie and John McIntosh Patrick.

The Lyon & Turnbull sale follows significant gifts to the holdings of The Hunterian and Paisley Museum by his widow, Dr Kiran Mazumdar-Shaw in 2025.

^{Images: 1. Dr John Shaw and Dr Kiran Mazumdar-Shaw. 2. Work by Sir Henry Raeburn from A Glasgow Legacy auction at Lyon & Turnbull. Image by Stewart Attwood.} 

Auction Viewing
28 September–1 October 2025
Lyon & Turnbull, Broughton Place, Edinburgh
View some of the collection highlights in advance of the auction.
Find out more including opening hours.

Auction
Wednesday 1 October 2025
Lyon & Turnbull, Broughton Place, Edinburgh
Find out more and view the sale catalogue.

First published: 25 September 2025