The Travelling Agent

Otto Mündler wasn’t just the National Gallery’s first Travelling Agent. He was also the only person to be employed by the Gallery in this role. The German art dealer and historian took on this job for three years. It involved travelling abroad to discover potential paintings to add to the collection.

A new job for a new gallery

In 1855, the National Gallery had only been open for 31 years. The newly appointed Director Sir Charles Eastlake wanted to expand the collection. But as this was a time before the internet and telephones, the most effective way to discover new works of art abroad was to go and see them in person. This led to an idea for a new position: a Travelling Agent.

Mündler's diaries

With several languages under his belt, and an excellent knowledge of the international art market, Otto Mündler was given the job. Part of the role was to document the private collections of distinguished families from abroad. From 1855 to 1858, Mündler kept travel diaries in which he recorded his adventures around Europe and the paintings he looked at.

Mündler's diaries also showed how he paid close attention to ensure the paintings were authentic. He would even copy artist signatures into the pages to document them for the Gallery’s records. Today, Mündler’s diaries remain a valuable resource for art historians.

Bringing home the art

Mündler worked with the Director to determine which paintings were worth purchasing. One key acquisition was ‘The Virgin and Child with Saints’ by Ambrogio Bergognone. This painting by the Italian Renaissance artist was found in Milan. Mündler wrote in his diary that it had been declared 'the finest [work] Bergognone ever painted’ and it is still part of the National Gallery Collection today.

The only Travelling Agent

Unfortunately for Mündler, his travels on behalf of the Gallery did not last longer than three years. He received a lot of criticism from the press and Parliament. It was thought that the role was not cost-effective and too few paintings were purchased, even though Eastlake always rated Mündler’s expertise extremely highly. By 1858, his position was ended. Due to Eastlake’s prompt intervention, Mündler received £150 (over £23,000 today) in compensation for his dismissal.

Mündler was the first and only official Travelling Agent at the National Gallery. Today, many teams are involved in bringing new paintings into the collection; from curators and registrars to the finance team and Director's office. Learn more about the latest arrivals into the National Gallery Collection.