National Gallery Director Dr Nicholas Penny, said: “The Four Times of Day are without narrative although there are figures blended with the natural forms. Each painting is a meditative evocation of the beauty of nature and at the same time a bravura demonstration of the artist's skill in improvising landscape compositions that are subtly interrelated in both colour and form. They are among Corot's greatest works and we are delighted that – with support from the Art Fund – we are able to make them a permanent addition to the national collection.”