24 THENATIONALGALLERYOFART 



files of the Museum contain unpublished letters relating to a few 

 of the paintings which are of so much historical and personal { 



interest that it has been thought desirable to insert them in \ 



their appropriate places. i 



The paper is to be regarded simply as a historical account. ! 



It contains no comments or criticisms on the artistic merits of ■ 



any of the objects or collections mentioned, except in a few i 



cases where values are manifestly obvious. The last section of \ 



the paper, under the heading National Gallery of Art, may < 



serve the purpose of a preliminary catalogue of that gallery, j 



but it will be supplemented by another and, it is hoped, a , 



more useful one as soon as the pictures can be assembled. 



