National Gallery

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Armorial Georgian Sterling Gravy Ladle London 1811
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Sir Walter Besant, in The Fascination of London, published in 1903, continues his survey of London with this look at the National Gallery:

The National Gallery was not designed as it now stands, but grew gradually.

The idea of a collection of national pictures began in 1824, when the Angerstein Collection of thirty-eight pictures was purchased.

The building began in 1832, and was opened six years later, but there were then only six rooms devoted to the national collection, the remainder being used by the Royal Academy of Arts.

The Academy, however, betook itself to Burlington House in 1869, and subsequently the National Gallery was enlarged, and is now well worthy of its name.

The English are taunted with not being an artistic nation; this may be, but they recognise merit when they see it, and the national collection need fear comparison with no other in the world.

The sections of the gallery include Italian schools, schools of the Netherlands and Germany, Spanish, French, and British schools; in the last named the Turner Collection claims two rooms.

Next: Trafalgar Square: St Martin's-in-the-Fields