Located in the bucolic surroundings of Dulwich Village, the Dulwich Picture Gallery was the first museum to bring art to the masses when it opened in 1817. It plays host to one of the country’s most impressive collections of Old Masters, which includes pieces by Adriaen van de Velde, Raphael and Jan Vermeer.
A number of the founding paintings were previously on display in Dulwich College, a public boys’ school a few hundred metres away. Dulwich frequently curates exhibitions of modern British artists. ‘Cutting Edge: Modern British Printmaking’ showcased works by Cyril Power and Paul Nash, while Vanessa Bell and Eric Ravilious have both had extensive exhibitions here.
According to the Guinness Book of Records, Dulwich Picture Gallery is home to the world’s most stolen painting, Rembrandt’s Portrait of Jacob de Gheyn III, which has been stolen four times. On one occasion, it turned up under a bench in Streatham, on another it was found in a left luggage office in Germany.
When is the Dulwich Picture Gallery Open?
Tuesday to Sunday: 10am to 5pm
Nearest Station
West Dulwich overland
Listing generously provided by Eleanor Ross, author of London’s Museums and Galleries, Exploring the Best of the City’s Art and Culture (published by Frances Lincoln), which can be purchased online here.
