Sir Frederic Burton played a key important role in acquisitions for the gallery. In total he acquired over 500 works, and he went for quality rather than "gap-filling". One of his best acquisition in terms of quality will be the 2 very important paintings by the Dutch artist J. Vermeer. The quality is one of the main factors behind the National Gallery which is why its compared to number of other much larger European galleries or to some extent some might even say its better. For this essay i want the significant role of Sir Frederic Burtons discussed with reference to the current display of the National Gallery because of his lasting impact. I want some of his important acqusitions mentioned in relation to his lasting impact on the gallery. Therefore the Sources to be read for this essay are; 1) Addison, Julia de Wolf, 1905, The Art of the National Gallery. London: George Bell & Son 2) Fisher, Mark, 2005 Britain''s Best Museums Galleries. London: Penguin 3) Conlin, Jonathan, 2006, The Nation''s Mantelpiece: A History of the National Gallery. London: Pallas Athene 4) Hendy, Philip, 1963, The National Gallery London. London: Thames & Hudson. These are the sources to be read before writing.