 15th- and 16th @-@ century Italian paintings were at the core of the National Gallery and for the first 30 years of its existence the Trustees ' independent acquisitions were mainly limited to works by High Renaissance masters . Their conservative tastes resulted in several missed opportunities and the management of the Gallery later fell into complete disarray , with no acquisitions being made between 1847 and 1850 . A critical House of Commons Report in 1851 called for the appointment of a director , whose authority would surpass that of the trustees . Many thought the position would go to the German art historian Gustav Friedrich Waagen , whom the Gallery had consulted on previous occasions about the lighting and display of the collections . However , the man preferred for the job by Queen Victoria , Prince Albert and the Prime Minister , Lord Russell , was the Keeper of Paintings at the Gallery , Sir Charles Lock Eastlake , who was President of the Royal Academy , played an essential role in the foundation of the Arundel Society , and knew most of London 's leading art experts . 
