Offers rejected: Filed by Italian artists

The letters provide varying amounts of detail/description on the pictures being offered. Some provenance information and dimension of the paintings are sometimes included. The letters are often annotated with the reply to the offer and the date the response was sent. They are generally from members of the public wishing to sell or gift their painting or paintings to the Gallery, however the series also contains some letters requesting information or providing the Gallery with certain information on paintings.

Since its foundation in 1824, the National Gallery has received from members of the public or art dealers offers of pictures of sale or donations. In some cases the offers are presented to the Board of Trustees for decision. However, in many cases the decision was make by the Keeper or Director, acting under his own authority.

Some pictures offered to and rejected by the National Gallery have subsequently become part of major public collections.

These letters were received by the Gallery 1837-1905. At some point they were separated from the rest of the Archive, and held within BOX GVIII 5 3, BOX GVIII 5 4 and BOX GVIII 5 5