Floris van Dijck’s 'A Banquet Still Life'

Have you ever wondered how paintings come to the National Gallery?

In the case of this rare still life by Floris van Dijck, we have a teacher from Yorkshire to thank. After centuries in private collections, ‘A Banquet Still Life’ was bought by the Gallery in 2025 thanks to a legacy from Martha Doris Bailey, in memory of her husband, Richard Hillman Bailey. In her will, Martha left a generous donation specifically for the purchase of pictures for the National Gallery.

Join Meredith Loper, Legacy Manager, and Carlo Corsato, Project Curator: Digital Dossier Programmer, as they delve into Van Dijck’s banquet and its journey onto the Gallery’s walls. 

Legacies at the National Gallery

Over a third of the Gallery’s paintings have been acquired as a result of gifts in Wills, benefitting generations now and in the future.

A gift in your Will, no matter how small or large, costs you nothing in your lifetime and will make a real difference to the National Gallery. Find out more about what your legacy could achieve at nationalgallery.org.uk/a-gift-in-your-will.

For a confidential conversation, please contact our Legacy Manager on 020 7747 5982 or development@nationalgallery.org.uk