New directions for the Gallery
In the 1850s the National Gallery’s administration was restructured. During this time, the Gallery created several new roles, including the appointment of the National Gallery’s first Director, Sir Charles Eastlake (1793-1865), in 1855.
National Gallery Annual Review (1856)The National Gallery, London
The same year that Eastlake was appointed, the Gallery also created another new role, employing its first official Travelling Agent.
The role of Travelling Agent was created to support the director in his new approach to expanding the national collection.
Who was the Travelling Agent?
Chosen as the Gallery’s Travelling Agent was the German art dealer and art historian Otto Mündler (1811-1870). With his previous experience as a dealer, his knowledge of art history and his fluency in many languages, Mündler was well-suited for his new role.
His work involved travelling to Europe, specifically Italy, to obtain early information on pictures offered for sale and to recommend pictures for purchase for the Gallery.
Copy of the Treasury Minute reconstituting the establishment of the National Gallery (1855)The National Gallery, London
Mündler was also "required to keep a diary" in which he could report on his travels and findings. These diaries record his many visits to foreign private collections, churches and galleries between August 1855 and July 1858.
During his time as travelling agent, Mündler made notes on a great many paintings, and some were even acquired for the national collection.
The Nativity (about 1524) by Girolamo RomaninoThe National Gallery, London
‘The Nativity’ by Girolamo Romanino
One such painting was ‘The Nativity’ by Girolamo Romanino (painted about 1524) which Mündler mentions in his diary in late 1855. Around two years later, in 1857, this painting was bought for the National Gallery.
The painting is the central panel of a larger altarpiece in the National Gallery Collection. It shows the scene of the Nativity, in which Mary and Joseph kneel before the infant Christ who lies naked on a cloth-covered basket in the stable where he was born.
Details from each of the panels of the altarpiece can be seen above. The central panel shows the Nativity, with Mary and Joseph kneeling before the infant Christ. On either side, panels depict Saint Alexander (lower left) and Saint Jerome (lower right). Above them are Saint Gaudioso (upper left) and Saint Filippo Benizzi (upper right.)
The Nativity (about 1524) by Girolamo RomaninoThe National Gallery, London
Romanino’s altarpiece was painted for the church of S. Alessandro in Brescia. The church was dedicated to Saint Alexander as well as the Virgin Mary, mother of God, which likely explains why she has such a prominent position in central panel of the altarpiece.
By 1826 ‘The Nativity’ was recorded in the Averoldi collection in Brescia, Italy. In a diary entry from 1 December 1855, Otto Mündler writes about a visit he made to Brescia.
Here, he records that the “chief attraction of the [Alveroldi] collection is a Rumanino, one of his finest works, the middle piece of an altar picture”.
While Mündler’s opinion was held in high esteem by the Gallery's Director, Sir Charles Eastlake, who considered him “by far the best connoisseur (though of course not infallible)” that he knew, some thought that the role of the Travelling Agent was not cost-effective.
Following much criticism in both the press and parliament, the official position of Travelling Agent was terminated in 1858 – just three years after Otto Mündler first took on this unique role.
The National Gallery would never again appoint an official Travelling Agent - making Mündler the first and last to hold this title. However, Otto Mündler’s diaries remain an invaluable resource for art historians today.
