The Laing Art Gallery, founded in Newcastle in 1904, was unusual amongst British regional galleries at the time for having opened without a collection. Having initially relied on loans from local collectors and national institutions throughout the years, the Laing has built up one of the most comprehensive and diverse displays of British painting in the country. Among its acquisitions are an outstanding watercolour collection, nineteenth century British oil painting including world famous pieces of Pre-Raphaelite art by Edward Burne-Jones and William Holman Hunt, and the most comprehensive collection in the world of works by locally-born Romantic artist John Martin. There is also a small nucleus of European painting on display at the Laing, showcasing works by the likes of Paul Gaugin, Dieric Bouts and Greorio de' Ferrari.