Sir Charles Eastlake (1793 to 1865)
Sir Charles Lock Eastlake was a painter, scholar and arts administrator. He was born in Plymouth and educated there and in Plympton - today a suburb located five miles outside the modern city of Plymouth - and a place that has produced or nurtured some great British painters.
Eastlake is best remembered for his roles as President of the Royal Academy and the first Director of the National Gallery. He also held a number of other important roles during his career.
This site gives you an overview of his life and work - from his early years in Plymouth and his time as an artist in Rome, to the latter stages of his life in London, during which time as Director of the National Gallery, he acquired many important works of art for the nation.