art museum founded houses collection paintings dating century gallery exempt charity non public body media sport collection belongs public united_kingdom entry main collection free charge visited art museums world unlike comparable museums continental europe formed existing royal art collection came british government bought paintings heirs insurance broker patron arts initial purchase gallery shaped mainly early directors notably sir private donations comprise thirds collection resulting collection small size compared european national galleries scope major developments western painting represented important works claimed national galleries works permanent exhibition longer case present building house designed façade remains essentially unchanged time building expanded history building criticised perceived weaknesses design lack space problem led establishment british art wing extension west notable example architecture britain current director history late 18th century saw royal art collections mainland europe royal collection munich opened public florence gallery formed french royal collection great_britain emulate continental model remains sovereign possession today british government opportunity buy art collection international stature descendants sir collection sale argued government buy treasure suggested housed noble gallery built garden came appeal years later collection bought entirety found plan acquire paintings collection brought london sale failed despite interest king prime minister younger paintings collection gallery including arrived variety routes dealer offered ready national collection british government partner sir assembled king poland partition abolished polish independence offer declined bequeathed collection old school death collection opened britain purpose built public gallery scottish dealer collector formed art collections basis future national collection respective offers year declined following sale artists including renewed calls establishment arguing british school painting flourish access canon european painting founded group aristocratic attempted address situation members lent works exhibitions changed annually art school held summer months paintings lent mediocre artists resented institution saw gentry increase sale prices old master paintings institution founding members sir eventually play major role foundation offering gift paintings major art collection came market assembled recently deceased russian born banker based london collection numbered paintings including works mode series july whig politician proposed house_of_commons purchase collection appeal given added impetus offer came conditions government buy collection suitable building found unexpected war debt austria finally moved government buy collection foundation early history opened public housed mall paintings joined collection reverend paintings initially bore burden managing gallery july responsibility fell newly formed board trustees mall frequently hot size comparison paris cause national embarrassment trustee gallery site london seen necessary gallery social purpose caused gallery briefly mall novelist described dull narrow house ill adapted exhibition treasures held turn demolished opening road construction began new building site area transformed 1820s square location significant wealthy west end poorer areas east argument collection accessed people social classes concerns pollution central london building prospect 1850s according existence pictures end purpose collection means people enjoyment housed east wing building growth successors 16th century italian paintings core years existence trustees independent acquisitions mainly limited works high renaissance masters conservative tastes resulted missed opportunities management gallery later fell complete disarray acquisitions critical called appointment director authority surpass trustees thought position german art historian gallery consulted previous occasions lighting display collections man preferred job queen_victoria prince albert prime minister lord russell gallery sir president played essential role foundation knew london leading art experts new director taste northern early italian renaissance masters neglected gallery acquisitions policy slowly gaining recognition annual tours continent italy particular seeking appropriate paintings buy gallery bought pictures abroad britain seminal works battle san amassed private art collection period consisting paintings knew interest trustees ultimate aim enter duly arranged death friend successor director widow gallery lack space remained acute period large british paintings insufficient room building displayed town house mall house gallery equipped major entire contents studio unfinished works nation death displayed site house stipulation turner paintings displayed alongside works honoured room gallery adequately displayed entirety today works divided small purpose built extension completed director sir laid foundations collection 18th century art outstanding purchases english private collections acquisition paintings charles record setting grant treasury brought gallery golden age collecting end annual purchase grant suspended years gallery purchased earl aid private individuals time history formation known unofficially early history allowed british works moved site following precedent set collection works artists born moved new gallery allowed turner constable remain early 20th century agricultural crisis turn 20th century caused aristocratic families sell paintings british national collections priced market american prompted foundation society subscribers dedicated stemming flow artworks united_states acquisition followed portrait denmark despite crisis aristocratic fortunes following decade great private collectors industrialist gave italian renaissance paintings including gallery note sir gallery controversial rare example political protest famous occurring damaged march women suffrage protest arrest previous day later month attacked causing gallery close start world war called end violent acts drawing attention plight reception art gallery got exceptionally stormy start sir promised paintings including death suitable building built dublin accepted director received extreme hostility trustees lord wrote soon expect hear service conducted exhibition works modern french art rebels sacred square result attitudes lane amended works ireland witnessed lane died board dispute began resolved collection permanent loan hugh lane works rotate london dublin years fund purchase modern paintings established bought notable modern works nation transferred world war shortly outbreak world war paintings evacuated locations wales including university colleges secure home sought discussions moving paintings canada idea firmly rejected winston_churchill wrote telegram director bury caves picture shall leave islands instead slate quarry near gallery use afforded paintings new location keeper future director began scholarly collection helped fact gallery library stored quarry confirmed importance storing paintings constant temperature humidity gallery long suspected hitherto unable prove eventually resulted air gallery opening course war musicians gave daily lunch time building raise public morale time concert hall london closed number art exhibitions held gallery complement british painting organised mounted major joint retrospective sir held january march seen visitors exhibitions work war artists including held war artists advisory committee set clark order artists work pretext request artist portrait new acquisition resulted picture month scheme single painting removed exhibited general public month art critic writing year called defiant outpost culture right middle bombed shattered metropolis paintings returned square post war developments post war years acquisitions increasingly difficult prices old masters post risen means gallery significant purchases period impossible major public appeals backing including virgin child anne john baptist bought gallery purchase grant government frozen later year received million sir enabling major purchases april lord brothers simon sir donation enable construction saw major gallery classification paintings national school introduced new chronological hang sought emphasise interaction cultures fixed national characteristics reflecting change art historical values 19th century respects victorian tastes building interiors longer considered embarrassment restored gallery accepted italian baroque paintings sir earlier 20th century considered baroque pale gallery trustees declined buy collection painting valued million condition gallery paintings charge admission gallery run scheme gives studio contemporary artists create work based permanent collection usually hold position associate artist years given exhibition end tenure respective long contested institutions clearly defined established cut point paintings paintings collection given long term loan return works future expansion return 20th century paintings walls 21st century large fundraising campaigns gallery buy diana diana bought tandem scotland major works sold famous collection duke largely priced market old master paintings acquisitions backing major public appeals departing director smith expressed frustration situation subject documentary film film shows gallery administration staff work conservation laboratory tours mounting exhibitions architecture building suggestion came envisaged site like building occupy centre square economic recession prevented scheme built competition site eventually held nash submitted design architect nash popularity time commission awarded involved selection site submitted drawings moment hoped build temple arts contemporary art historical example commission compromise resulting building deemed failure counts site allowed building room deep barracks lay immediately matters public right way site buildings accounts access eastern western sides façade incorporate columns demolished relative result elevation deemed excessively low far cry commanding focal point desired northern end square recycled sculptures façade originally intended nash marble arch abandoned financial problems eastern half building housed diminished space afforded gallery building object public ridicule completed version design leaked literary gazette years completion infamous elevation appeared contrasts influential tract example classical style recorded thought building nasty little hole called little shop building twentieth century architectural historian sir echoed early criticisms compared arrangement dome turrets clock useful sir landscaping square included north terrace building appear raised addressing points complaint opinion building considerably called façade loved elegant friend contrast proposed extension alteration expansion barry taylor significant alteration building single long gallery added sir decorated comparison rooms nonetheless worsened cramped conditions inside building built original entrance hall attempts completely suggested sir premises air cleaner barry son proposed replace building massive classical building scheme failure contemporary critics denounced exterior strong cathedral demolition barry able build gallery sequence grand architectural spaces built design barry rooms arranged greek cross plan huge central compensated architecture building barry new wing disliked gallery staff considered monumental aspect conflict function exhibition space decorative programme rooms intended contents account ceiling 16th century italian gallery instance inscribed names british artists 19th century despite failures barry rooms provided gallery strong followed subsequent additions gallery century resulting building clear symmetry gallery demolished phase building scheme sir extending northwards main entrance glass entrance painted ceiling decorations family firm worked barry rooms intended south wall realised space taken lord painting celebrated madonna carried procession streets florence lent 1990s 20th century versus restoration later additions west came steadily maintained building barry cross axis plan east use dark marble continued giving extensions degree internal consistency older rooms classical style use style gallery built funded art dealer trustee lord long 20th century reaction victorian attitudes manifest gallery landing floors taylor entrance hall new series friendly read satire 19th century conventions decoration public buildings albert memorial central mosaic depicting awakening includes portraits high moral tone victorian place christianity seven virtues offered set including humour open mind figures portraits contemporaries including winston_churchill 20th century gallery late victorian interiors fell fashion ceiling decorations entrance hall taste director white paint opened public marked arrival modernist architecture older rooms original classical details suspended roofs aim create neutral settings distract paintings gallery commitment short lived 1980s victorian style longer considered restoration programme began restore century interiors purported original appearance began refurbishment barry rooms considered lack positive architectural character classical style albeit simplified later additions important addition building recent years wing designed architects house collection renaissance paintings built building occupies site west main building department store stood destruction blitz gallery long sought expansion space competition held find suitable architect included radical high tech proposal design won votes firm burton modified proposal include tower similar rogers scheme proposal dropped compared design monstrous face loved elegant friend term monstrous modern building clashes surroundings commonplace conditions competition new wing include commercial offices public gallery space possible devote extension entirely gallery uses donation million lord brothers simon sir closed competition held schemes produced noticeably restrained earlier competition contrast rich ornamentation main building galleries intimate suit smaller scale paintings main inspirations rooms sir galleries church interiors stone dressing grey stone local florence northernmost galleries align barry central axis single length gallery axis exaggerated use false perspective columns flanking opening gradually diminish size visitor reaches focal point approach architecture evidence stylistic quotations buildings disparate mall regia vatican victorian warehouses ancient egyptian temples following square gallery currently engaged convert vacated office space ground floor public space plan fill disused use land acquired adjoining place gave exchange land extension phase designed opened public provided new ground level entrance square named honour sir main entrance refurbished reopened september possible future projects include west wing project roughly symmetrical provide future ground level entrance public opening small rooms far eastern end building acquired swap include new public staircase bow eastern façade announced additional projects controversies persistent criticisms apart building conservation policy gallery detractors accused having approach restoration cleaning operation began appointment keeper subject attacks press paintings receive treatment unveiled public gallery critic wrote series letters times pseudonym institution parliamentary set investigate matter cleared gallery wrongdoing criticism methods sporadically art establishment major outcry use radical conservation techniques years ago immediate post war years following restoration campaign chief paintings cleaned pictures exhibited public followed parallels century earlier principal criticism extensive removal 19th century protect surface paintings time resulted loss added paintings artists opposition techniques led professor later correspondence described treated offensive commission concluded damage recent criticised paintings decision group paintings anonymous artists venetian school works crowd pulling artist rarity paintings unpopular staff recently 17th century painting bought contested group art historians believe admitted mistake avoid embarrassing involved purchase work gallery february artist bought million million major american painting purchased gallery director termed painting new direction gallery non european painting european style sale controversial list directors collection highlights transport connections
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