How does the process of acquisitions work at the National Portrait Gallery?
When a portrait is considered for acquisition, the initial review by the historians and the director is based on the biography of the subject. At the same time, curators determine the circumstances under which the portrait was made, acquiring portraits done from life when possible. The first formal test of a portraits chances occurs at the regularly scheduled curatorial meetings, when the historians and curators debate the historical and aesthetic qualities of proposed acquisitions. With the approval of the committee, the curators arrange to bring the portrait to the Gallery, and they present it to the Gallerys Commission at one of its twice-yearly meetings. The Commission has final authority to approve the subject of the portrait for the collection, and thus to admit the portrait to the collection.
