The Outcry

In April 1909 the Duke of Norfolk accepted an offer for Holbein’s portrait of Christina of Denmark, on loan to the National Gallery since 1880. There was an immediate public reaction to the announcement of the sale, which raised issues around private interest and public benefit. While the potential removal of the portrait from the National Gallery has been frequently discussed, the nearly simultaneous gift of just under 200 paintings from the collection of George Salting is less familiar. Salting died in December 1909, leaving literally thousands of works of art to the nation. Some portions of the bequest have been analysed, but many, including the paintings at the National Gallery, deserve attention. This article aims to provide an introduction to Salting’s contribution to the ‘nation’s treasures’ held at the National Gallery in the context of the history of the collection at a moment of contestation.

Archaeology · Art · Art gallery · Art history · Bequest · Context (archaeology) · Exhibition · National museum · Painting · Political science · Portrait · Visual arts · Historical Art and Culture Studies · History · Law