A Dulwich Stroll

The Dulwich Picture Gallery

The Dulwich Picture Gallery was one of the first public art galleries, opened in 1817. Originally, the pictures were collected by the French art dealer Desenfans for the king of Poland, but Poland ceased to become a state in 1795, and Desenfans kept the pictures until he died, when they were left to Francis Bourgeois, an artist. Bourgeois willed them to Dulwich College on condition that they would be on show to the public. The gallery was designed by John Soane, the architect and collector. There is a museum in London devoted to Soane.

There are paintings by Rembrandt, Rubens, Gainsborough, Murillo, Van Dyck and Canaletto, as well as landscapes by Cuyp and other Dutch and French masters.

The entrance to the newly restored gallery. Entrance is free on Fridays, and there is a fine cafe just inside the entrance to the right.

At the back is the Mausoleum to Bourgeois. The gallery was designed by the architect John Soane, so it attracts not just art students, but also architecture students.

Soane's architecture shines with this spacious interior, the pictures illuminated by copious natural light. No artificial light is needed because of the quality of the architectural design.

One of the jewels of the Dulwich collection, Rembrandt's Girl at a Window, flanked by Dutch landscapes. The ornate marquetry of the sideboard contrasts the simple curves of the docent's chair.

This Rubens is shows Cupid with his parents, Venus and Mars. Cupid is receiving breast milk, not by suckling, but from an aeriel stream. It is disturbing to many men, as it fully confronts the dual nature of the breast as functional and sexual.

Queen Victoria at the age of four, with a small crown perched on top of the frame. How she must have fought against being dressed as a tiny adult, expected to be so formal at such a young age.

Rembrandt's Portrait of a Young Man.

After walking to the Gallery, and walking around the paintings, you may be tempted to take a tranquil time in the park surrounding the gallery, you could even eat lunch that you bought at one of the shops in the Village. The cafe by the entrance is very good for coffee, tea and scones, and other delectables.