lviii INTRODUCTION

to the nation. Some knowledge of the early history of the Gallery is necessary to understand the circumstances in which Ruskin’s letters were written.

The present organisation of the National Gallery (with some modifications which need not concern us) dates back to 1855, and was in part brought about by the controversies in which Ruskin here takes part. The executive authority has since that date been vested in a Director; in some matters he can only act with the concurrence of the Trustees, but the real responsibility is his. Before 1855, however, the executive officer held a more subordinate position; he was called “Keeper”; and responsibility for the purchase and care of pictures was divided, in an undefined way, between him, the Trustees, and the Treasury. In 1843, Mr. (afterwards Sir) C. L. Eastlake was appointed Keeper. Ruskin, as we have already seen from a private letter (Vol. III. p. 670), was “put into a desperate rage” by some of the first purchases under Eastlake’s régime. These had been of Guidos and Rubenses, whereas Ruskin wanted to see the collection strengthened by the accession of works by the early Italians and the great Venetians. These came in later years-in large measure, we may fairly conclude, owing to the interest created by Ruskin’s writings. In the autumn of 1846 a correspondence was opened in the columns of the Times, attacking the administration of the Gallery generally. During the previous vacation many of the pictures had been cleaned and restored. Eastlake was blamed not only for thus damaging (as it was alleged) good pictures, but also for buying bad ones. The attack was led by the picture-dealer, and at one time artist, Mr. Morris Moore, writing at first under the pseudonym of “Verax,” and afterwards in his own name. Eastlake resigned office in 1847, and was succeeded by Thomas Uwins, R.A., who held the office of Keeper till 1855, when Eastlake was appointed Director with enlarged power. Mr. Moore, however, continued his opposition through several years, especially during 1850 and 1852. He also published some pamphlets on the subject, amongst them one entitled The Revival of Vandalism at the National Gallery: A Reply to John Ruskin and Others (London, Ollivier, 1853). The whole discussion may be gathered in all its details from the Parliamentary Report of the Select Committee on the National Gallery in 1853. Such references to this Report as are necessary to explain passages in Ruskin’s letters, are given in footnotes to the text: the particulars in at least one instance are somewhat curious (see p. 400 n.). His first letter (pp. 397-406) was written on January 6, 1847, when the first campaign of “Verax” was in full vigour. It touches on some of the particular cases

[Version 0.04: March 2008]