John Julius, a distinguished patron of the fine arts, was a native of St Petersburg, but of German extraction, and settled in London about the year 1749, where he became one of the most eminent merchants of that period. On Mr Angerstein's death in 1822, his celebrated collection of pictures, consisting of about forty of the most exquisite specimens of the art, was purchased for the use of the public by the English Government, for the sum of L60,000. This collection was exhibited for some time at the house of the late proprietor in Pall Mall; and became the nucleus of the magnificent collection in the National Gallery, where it was exhibited on the opening of that institution in 1837.