Sir Charles Eastlake, the National Gallery and the Tuscan ‘primitives’. Pursuing the Oldest Masters for the Newest Ends

Abstract

This article examines Sir Charles Eastlake’s decisive role in reshaping the National Gallery’s collecting policies through the acquisition of early Italian, especially Tuscan, painting between 1843 and 1865. It argues that the Gallery’s embrace of the ‘primitives’ formed part of a broader programme of institutional reform prompted by the 1853 Select Committee and the Treasury Minute of 1855. Through a close analysis of Eastlake’s purchases, negotiations and writings, the study reconstructs the formation of taste surrounding early Italian art and the creation of the National Gallery’s pioneering collection of Tuscan ‘primitives.’ It demonstrates how historical, educational and national concerns justified the inclusion of Trecento and Quattrocento painting within the nascent national collection, while situating Eastlake’s activity within wider European developments and highlighting his personal preference for Venetian art alongside Raphaelesque ideals. Although Eastlake valued the earliest Tuscan works principally for their historical significance, the article shows that their acquisition fundamentally reshaped the Gallery’s governance, staffing, funding and international standing.