ABSTRACT
529 Since the original foundation of the National Gallery, in 1824, no single event has taken place of so much importance to the advancement of Art in Diis country, as the munificent bequest to the nation of his remaining works by our great landscape-painter, Turner. One portion is already accessible to the public, and a wonderful instalment it is; and those still to be seen are of equal importance, though they will lack that interest which was necessarily attached to the novelty of the first exhibition of works of such surprising’ power. Wlien we consider that such works, reflecting the highest lionour on the Britisli school, are withheld from public exhibition because the nation does not possess a suitable gallery to exhibit them in, it does appear a singular anomaly; more especially Mhen we consider the boundless resources of the British Government. This could scarcely happen in any other capital of Europe; many of the small cities of the German principalities, even, have contrived to provide for their collections of iicturcs some ten times the accommodation iitherto afforded by the British Government. That such consideraÍDle donations as the Turner bequest could not be foreseen, is but little palliation for the deficiency. If such acquisitions are made in spite of discouragement, what are we to cxpect from an adequate encouragement of donations and bequests by a noble reception in every way worthy of the acquisition?
