Now—­in 1857—­question was raised of removing the National Gallery from Trafalgar Square.  The South Kensington Museum was being formed, and the whole business of arranging the national art treasures was gone into by a Royal Commission, consisting of Lord Broughton (in the chair), Dean Milman, Prof.  Faraday, Prof.  Cockerell, and George Richmond.  Ruskin was examined before them on April 6th, and re-stated the opinions he had written to The Times, adding that he would like to see two National Galleries—­one of popular interest, containing such works as would catch the public eye and enlist the sympathy of the untaught; and another containing only the cream of the collections, in pictures, sculpture and the decorative crafts, arranged for purposes of study.  This was suggested as an ideal; of course, it would involve more outlay, and less display, than any Parliamentary vote would sanction, or party leader risk.

Another question of importance was the disposal of the pictures and sketches which Turner had left to the nation.  Ruskin was one of the executors under the will; but, on finding that, though Turner’s intention was plain, there were technical informalities which would make the administration anything but easy, he declined to act.  It was not until 1856 that the litigation was concluded, and Turner’s pictures and sketches were handed to the Trustees of the National Gallery.  Ruskin, whose want of legal knowledge had made his services useless before, now felt that he could carry out the spirit of Turner’s will by offering to arrange the sketches; which were in such a state of confusion that only some person with knowledge of the artist’s habits of work and subjects could, so to speak, edit them; and the editor would need no ordinary skill, patience and judgment, into the bargain.

Meanwhile, for that winter (1856-7) a preliminary exhibition was held of Turner’s oil-paintings, with a few water-colours, at Marlborough House, then the headquarters of the Department of Science and Art, soon afterwards removed to South Kensington.  Ruskin wrote a catalogue, with analysis of Turner’s periods of development and characteristics; which made the collection intelligible and interesting to curious sight-seers.  They showed their appreciation by taking up five editions in rapid succession.

Just before lecturing at Manchester, he wrote again on the subject to The Times; and in September his friend R.N.  Wornum, Director of the National Gallery in succession to Eastlake and Uwins, wrote—­as we saw—­that he might arrange the sketches as he pleased.  He returned from Scotland, and set to work on October 7th.

It was strange employment for a man of his powers; almost as removed from the Epicurean Olympus of “cultured ease” popularly assigned to him, as night-school teaching and lecturing to workmen.  But, beside that it was the carrying out of Turner’s wishes, he always had a certain love for experimenting in manual toil; and this was work in which his extreme neatness and deftness of hand was needed, no less than his knowledge and judgment.  During the winter for full six months, he and his two assistants worked, all day and every day, among the masses of precious rubbish that had been removed from Queen Anne Street to the National Gallery.