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THE NATIONAL GALLERY.
We are glad to find that the Trustees of the National Gallery have not lost a good opportunity lately presented to them by the sale of Mr. De Bammeville's collection, chiefly of old Italian and German masters. A portrait of a Senator by Diirer, at 1474, a Madonna by Pachierotto, at 92/. 85., a Head of Christ by Niccolo Alunno, at 551. 13.5., and a Madonna by Lorenzo di San Severino, at 393/. 15s., were purchased for the nation. The last is a very fine and important work, for which it would have been no extravagance to give a price much higher. The Darer is an acquisi- tion, especially in the present destitute state of our Gallery, though not a very distinguished representative of its great painter : we would rather have seen there one of the four or five Cranachs, the principal among which sold within 1601., while each was excellent as a specimen of the old German school. Our recollection of the pictures, which we had looked at before the sale, does not extend with any particularity to the Pachierotto and the Nimbi Alunno ; and certainly several others which we should have thought better worth purchasing could have been got as eco- nomically; for the collection was unusually well-stock( d with works fine in themselves or valuable as examples. Let us be happy, however, to possess four works of the noble ages of painting, at a low price, instead of what the Trustees had been hitherto far more partial to, a single work of the base ages, at a monstrous outlay of money and bad taste.
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