It was shaped mainly by its early directors, including Sir Charles Lock Eastlake, and by private donations, which comprise two thirds of the collection. Although small in comparison with other national art collections such as the Louvre, the National Gallery is notable for covering a broad art-historical scope with paintings of consistently high quality, making it possible to trace every major development in Western painting from the Early Renaissance to the Post-impressionists through its collection.
The Gallery's 19th-century origins have, however, resulted in particularly strong holdings of the Italian and Dutch schools, while historically it was slow on the uptake of modern art. The National Gallery has been housed in three buildings, all of which have been deemed inadequate for their purpose at one point or another.
The present building, begun by William Wilkins, has undergone several extensions, most notably by E. Barry and Robert Venturi. The current director is Charles Saumarez Smith. History Founding bequests and early history Compared with the majority of European nation states, Great Britain was a late starter in establishing a national art collection open to the public.
Whereas the great galleries of continental Europe, such as the Uffizi in Florence or the Prado in Madrid, were built on royal or princely art collections that had been nationalised, the British Royal Collection remained in the possession of the sovereign, dispersed across various royal palaces.
Exhibitions and events What's on now Exhibitions Events. Art and artists Search the collection Highlights from the collection Latest arrivals Picture of the month Contemporary residencies Latest stories. Search Entire website. The paintings displayed in Angerstein's house.
See also. Collection history. Sculptures and mosaics. Find out about the Gallery's sculptures and mosaics.
0コメント