Sir William Boxall (1800 - 1879) was the second Director of the National Gallery. A painter and Royal Academician, he was appointed to the post in 1865 when Sir Charles Eastlake, the first Director, died.
Boxall's directorship was marked by a number of very important additions to the Collection. In 1871 he negotiated the acquisition of 77 mainly Dutch and Flemish paintings from Sir Robert Peel's collection. He also bought Italian works, which include the two pictures in the Gallery attributed to Michelangelo.
He retired in 1874 and was succeeded by Frederick William Burton.