NATIONAL PORTRAIT GALLERY—HOGARTH'S PORTRAIT.—OBSERVATIONS. (Hansard, 30 July 1869)

§ MR. DISRAELI

said, that perhaps the House would allow him to make one remark with respect to a Vote which passed the Committee of Supply the other night. The House would remember that it had been his duty to vindicate the Trustees of the National Portrait Gallery from the charge that at the sale of the portrait of Hogarth at his easel, painted by Hogarth himself, the Trustees did not fulfil their duty, and that in consequence of the want of funds, a precious picture was lost to the country. On that occasion he vindicated the conduct of the Trustees of the National Portrait Gallery, and stated that they had offered 350 guineas for the picture, but that a gentleman from Manchester bade a greater sum. In consequence of the debate which then arose, the Trustees of the National Portrait Gallery had received a communication from which it appeared that the picture was purchased, not by a private gentleman, but by the well-known firm of Messrs. Agnew and Sons, picture dealers, of Manchester. In their letter, the Messrs. Agnew stated that they bought the picture for their own collection, giving a large sum for it, but not a price exceeding its value; that they were perfectly unaware at the time that they were bidding against the country; and that, therefore, they would have the greatest pleasure in waiving their claim to the painting, and in allowing the National Portrait Gallery to have it. It was so rare a thing for dealers in pictures to waive their right to valuable works of art, that he thought it due to Messrs. Agnew and Sons that the fact of their 997 readiness to give up the picture to the nation should be known. He would read one or two paragraphs from the letter of Messrs. Agnew and Sons to the Trustees of the National Gallery. They said— We bought the picture for our stock, and without reference to any particular purchaser, and at a sum we consider much below the value of a work by Hogarth of unsurpassed interest. We shall not stand in the way of the country acquiring this important picture, which every lover of art must desire it should possess. From the debate in the House we received the first intimation that it was sought to purchase the picture for the national collection. We consider it to be our duty, as it is no less our pleasure, to offer the picture to the Trustees for the sum bidden by their agent. That was conduct on the part of Messrs. Agnew exhibiting great public spirit; and it gave him pleasure to call attention to it; and he might add that this was not the first time he had to notice the public spirit of Manchester.