So, this happens to be England's oldest art gallery, and the main reason I treked all the way down here was so I could see a Bertha Morriset exhibition, one of the reasons being that you don't get many art exhibitions by female impressionists. Like a lot of the museums in England, it is free, but you do have to pay to go to the exhibitions. read more

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Dulwich Picture Gallery opened in 1811 and was the world's first purpose-built public art gallery, designed by Sir John Soane, to House a collection formerly at Dulwich College. The bulk of the collection was assembled by two London-based art dealers on a commission from the King of Poland, but the King's abdication in 1795 and their failure to find another buyer resulted in this astonishing collection of Old Masters being bequeathed to Dulwich College instead. Visitors can now enjoy an astonishing collection of Old Masters from the 17th and 18th Centuries set in the perfection of Soane's gallery: his deceptively sophisticated yet simple design became the model for galleries around the world since. Curation is simple and clear, and audio guides are also available. It's worth a couple of hours of anyone's time and has an excellent cafe and a small shop. The nearest railway station is West Dulwich: it's a 10 minute walk through Belair Park and along Gallery Road. read more

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This is actually a review for the complex where the museum is located, since the museum was closing very shortly after we arrived (subsequent to visiting the lovely Dulwich Park, as per my previous review). We visited the gift shop, the interior of the (small) church and the cafe. So: #1 - The gift shop: Although it's rather small, it had a nice selection of items and especially beautifully-illustrated childrens' books. I bought a pretty bracelet and a lovely book about Dulwich Village. #2 - The church: It's several hundred years old and beautifully-preserved. We also went out into the courtyard, which was pretty - and we had a nice conversation with the very friendly volunteer who was at the church. #3 - The cafe: It's fairly large - and the exterior is all glass, which provides a nice view. We got scones (delicious) - and since the cafe was soon closing and we were the last customers, we had a great conversation with the guy working behind the counter. read more

I was pleasantly surprised by this gallery. They have some amazing works housed in a wonderful building, it makes for a lovely afternoon out and a great alternative to the city galleries which are often overpopulated at the weekends and during exhibitions by more prominent artists. Here we still got to see some wonderful works by the likes of Thomas Gainsborough and Flemish artists Rubens and Van Dyck at your own pace in the permanent collection. It feels rather like someone's home, with rambling rooms and pictures displayed along warm painted walls, one above the other. I came here for a particular exhibition that is showing until 15 February 2009: Saul Steinberg's Illuminations (he did the famous New Yorker cover drawing of the world seen from 9th Avenue), very inspiring work indeed. The shop has some lovely gifts for the art lover. read more

Dulwich Picture Gallery - Art Galleries Near Me - London, XGL

DPG is the biggest little gallery I've ever encountered. Recently, I took my mother down to lovely Dulwich in order to get a gander at the portrait gallery. It certainly didn't hurt that we went on the day of the flotilla, and seemed to be two of, maybe, a handful of museum-goers. It was one of the few times in a museum that I could actually stand and observe unmolested a portrait of my choosing. -no jockeying for position, no standing on tippy-toes. That all was joyous enough. The best part, however, was being around for the 3pm tour given by a most knowledgeable and enthusiastic docent, Mireille. From her our little group learned of the museum's inception, the interesting origins of its permanent collection, and the differences between art produced in 16th and 17th centuries in Southern Europe and 17th Netherlandish art. I thoroughly enjoyed it. read more

Charming and intimate picture gallery with wide collection of 17th and 18th century masters. Surrounded by a lovely park where you can relax prior of after the visit. It's also a fantastic place to grab a lunch as the restaurant attached to the gallery serves absolutely delicious food. All in all it's a place where you can spend a very decadent afternoon. read more

Dulwich Picture Gallery - Panna cotta with poached rhubarb and honey comb pieces. Delicious!!! - Art Galleries Near Me - London, XGL

This was once a huge 18th century house but is now a very well known, yet small art gallery. If you Art like galleries then you will love the small but brilliant one in Dulwich, it's in a beautiful surroundings. I actually didn't plan on visiting, I hadn't even heard of it before, but one morning I drove past it and thought to stop off as it just looked luminous. It cost me £4 to get in and saw that it was free on Fridays, it was a shame it wasn't a Friday damn it! It has some amazing works by Rembrandt, Van Dyck, Rubens, Poussin, and Gainsborough, among others. And if you fancy a coffee, Picture Gallery Café on the Landscape will serve you a coffee and you can choose from a selection of deserts. I like Art and studied it at University so I definitely enjoyed it, but if Art is not your thing, I would say visit the Gallery Café, it is really nice but not that good. read more

Dulwich Picture Gallery - Art Galleries Near Me - London, XGL

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Ahoy! A recent sojourn to Dulwich brought us to the well known Picture Gallery and as this was my first visit I was quite looking forward to it. A quick spot of lunch in their cafe got us off to a very average start. I was a little underwhelmed with the 'Beef and ale sausages in caramelised red onion gravy with bubble and squeak' (Bangers and Mash to most of us). Can't remember what the missus had but she enjoyed hers more than I did mine and at about £8 - £10 for a main meal on the lunch menu it's certainly not cheap but perhaps average for a gallery. So, on in to the gallery and ever closer to my main motivation for going there - the temporary exhibit of Salvatore Rosa. Knowing I loved his stuff anyway was cause for some excitement inside me but seeing a load of his stuff all together in one gallery was just amazing! That particular exhibit finished at the end of November so, I'm afraid, you missed a treat. Unless you did go and see it, if so, wasn't it good? As for the rest of the gallery, which isn't particularly large, there are numerous well known European (and British) artists' works on show but nothing from the past 100 years or so, it's slightly older stuff, largely 17th and 18th century. Some of which I liked and took time to consider but on the whole there wasn't a great deal from the permanent galleries that I found greatly interesting. Everybody's different but I managed to see the rest of the gallery reasonably quickly despite hoping to find some really appealing art. Just about every galleries' gift shops are usually pretty good and this one in Dulwich is no different, I happily spent about £16 without being determined to find something to bring home with me. The building itself along with the gardens are quite picturesque and beautiful and are worth seeing. My advice would be to wait until there is a particular temporary exhibition on show that interests you and then visit as Dulwich is not necessarily an easy place to get to and I don't think it's the most interesting gallery either. Ian. read more

A day out in the village. Other reviewers have covered the Galleries range of exhibitions, permanent galleries and events that they so brilliantly put together. So this is just to add my 'Yah I'm a Fan' and just to correct an odd mistake in another review. Dulwich Picture Galery is not a converted 18th century house, far from it. It was in fact the first purpose built Art Gallery in the world. Designed by Sir John Soane (who's WC2A 3BP museum is amazing) to house the collection of Sir Francis Bourgeois, who bequeathed his personal collection to Dulwich College. Built in 1817, the 19th century, this amazing building set the style for galleries around the world. The building alone is worthy of a visit. So just 15 mins from Victoria by overground and surrounded by the urban sprawl of London, Dulwich is a green oasis packed with history. read more

I don't know much about art but I know what I like. The Dulwich Picture gallery is running an MC Escher exhibit (October 2015 - January 2016) and I'm a big fan of his work so made the trip. We had booked an allotted time due to the popularity of the exhibit but it was still to busy for my liking. All of his major pieces were there including Another World and the never ending stair cases pieces, I was also impressed with his self portraits. The rest gallery has some interesting pieces but not being an art buff I wasn't really interested after looking at the visiting exhibition. The gift shop was good and we happily spent £10 on an Escher print. The Dulwich Gallery is a good place to visit though as it is in leafy Dulwich and it is a little calmer than the central London competition. read more

The Dulwich Pitcture House is located in one of the prettiest parts of South London- right in the middle of picturesque Dulwich village. The sumptious buiding holds an excellent permanent collection of famous 17th and 18th century old masters including Rubens, Gainsborough and Van Dyck. They hold regular temporary exhibitions, workshops and events for children- recently Quentin Blake curated an exhibition called 'What Are You Like? Self Revealing Portraits by People in the Public Eye' which showed the work of people such as Eric Clapton, Margaret Howell, Andrew Marr and Shirley Hughes. read more

A small gallery in pretty surroundings. The building itself is lovely and the collection is interesting, if not extensive. The Ravilious exhibition that was on when we visited was not my cup of tea but I still think it's good to have exhibitions that are a bit off the well-trodden path. Although I picked up a kid's activity pack (hey, young at heart) and I think it would have been pretty confusing and not very helpful for a child! They recently put up a fake commissioned from China in the gallery and had people try to spot it. I enjoyed reading about this and it makes me think it's worth signing up to their newsletter to catch fun things like this. The cafe was a tad disappointing. We sat outside in the attractive garden, which was pleasant, but the cakes themselves were a bit meh. read more

Built as a museum, I think, not a private house. Wonderful collection of art, lovely grounds with eating area, and a delightful park across the street to roam in. A bit out of the way, but you can get there from Central London by public bus. read more

This gallery is so fantastic - small but packed with great works, active in the community and a fantastic cultural centre for Dulwich Village, with its air of regal calm. But what a shame it's so expensive to get in! I live locally and have only ever been in once, as have many of my friends, and I think they'd agree it's because the high entry fee is a turnoff for repeat visits. I know that not everything can or should be free, but I wish there was a better deal for locals who'd like to be regular attendees of the special exhibitions. read more

The world's first purpose built gallery is an excellent place to spend a couple of hours of a half-day. The permanent collection includes a substantial number of fine old masters: by Rembrant, Poussin, Rubens and many others. There are regular rotating exhibitions but the impressive permanent collection is free for students (it's 4 pounds for adults, 3 for OAPs). The building itself - designed by Sir John Soane - is a beautiful setting for the paintings, and there is a very pleasant modern cafe set in the grounds with outdoor seating in summer. The cafe is an ideal spot for tea or for a tasty light meal with a friend. The gallery is located in Dulwich Village, a sophisticated oasis in south London, and is opposite Dulwich Park (where some on-street parking available). read more

a good place to spend you weekend day during the summer when it is sunny and warm. The nearby park is gorgeous, the garden around the gallery very pleasant to spend some time in. You may eat your lunch at at the local cafeteria. The Gallery itself is not particularly big, rather cosy, divided into two separate areas, one devoted to the permanent exhibition, the second one occupied by a temporary collection, currently Poussin and Twombly. Still there are a number of worth seeing pieces of arts on display. Overall this is a very good option to consider when planning a day off. read more

Going down to Dulwich is always a lovely exercise, as its such a picturesque little place with a small high street and a massive park. The picture gallery in itself doesn't look much from the outside, but is rather well stocked on the inside. A great mixture of old masters, plus a few more modern landscapes. Some pieces of furniture here and there, sadly all without any description whatsoever. Some of the bigger paintings are also displayed in their amazing old frames, which have their own little label, but in the whole the gallery concentrates on Old Master Paintings. They have some decent special exhibitions, which range from mainly baroque to sometimes 19th century, but as the baroque stuff is not really my thing I'm not heading in this direction very often. Still, a very nice gallery with some exceptional artwork. read more

The situation of Dulwich Picture Gallery is pretty idyllic. Set on a picture perfect white picketed fenced road in Dulwich village, surrounded by well kept lawns and a stylish café is this pristine art gallery. The collection including works by Raphael, Poussin and Rubens is one of the oldest in Britain, very significant in terms of the history of art and very impressive. As well as the permanent collection, Dulwich Picture Gallery has changing, temporary exhibitions showing. The gallery and the exhibitions are without exception beautifully thought out, curated and displayed. And all this without the stresses of the crowds that you often experience in central London galleries. read more

Ahhh! This is such a civilised place. As someone who likes to see art wherever she can, it's a pleasure to go somewhere where there is far less hustle and bustle. Good art that's worth seeing at your own pace. It's not big but big enough. I've seen some really good exhibitions here. The new cafe is really delightful with excellent cream teas, soups and lunches. Good book shop as well. Dulwich keeps it village atmosphere, it's very pretty. There's a Pizza Express and some charming local shops. I like to go for a walk in Dulwich Woods, part of the land belonging to Dulwich College. It's surprising to walk somewhere where it feels so much like the countryside without leaving South London. It's another world, compared to nearby Brixton, which I also love. read more

This is the world's first purpose-built gallery and is a treasure. Small but rich it has a lovely selection of pictures, a fine cafe and is located in lovely dulwich, and a short walk away from the horniman. What a way to spend a day! read more

This is a tiny little gem (so shush!!! And tell no-one!)It is quite well located and has air of an era gone by. The staffs are welcoming and friendly especially towards children. I like to drop in for afternoon tea and pretend that for a little while that the whole place is all mine! (I think the men in white suits will be visiting me soon!) This is a great place for families with children of any age. read more

If you have never visited the Dulwich Picture Gallery you are missing a true work of art in every sense. It's a small gallery with a fabulous collection of works from assorted artists. The staff are always courteous and knowledgeable making for a relaxed and friendly atmosphere. It's getting quite busy at nights. read more

Despite the restaurant being busy at lunchtimes, it is not that good. The service is acceptable, but the food is not good enough for the premium prices charged. There was no vegetarian option available on the day I went, so a supposedly large starter was provided, which comprised a small pot of humous, some unidentifiable red sauce (that tasted like tomato ketchup mixed with yoghourt), a small pitta bread and slice of chevre cheese. At the price charged this was not good enough. My friend's kedgeree was, in his words, 'all right but bland'. What the gallery really needs is a simple coffee shop, selling no more than light snacks. The fact this small space sees itself as a quite upmarket restaurant is a problem. It means lingering at your table during the busy lunch is not easy, and the people on the next table had to be forceful in telling the waitress that they were not ready to leave (three times no less!) That is not to say the staff are rude (they are not) but they clearly are being asked to do something that neither the space nor (to judge by my food) the chef are up to doing. My advice is to walk the few hundred metres into the village proper and go to one of the cafes or restaurants there. The short walk will lead to a much better meal. read more

This is a local impressive find. They do so much here, not just the art work in the gallery or the exhibitions but the extra activities that they organise throughout the year. They run art classes for adults and children (not very cheap though), Easter Egg Hunts etc. They have a nice small restaurant and a small garden to walk around but opposite is the most fantastic park which makes a wonderful place to visit afterwards. read more

Excellent art gallery with permanent collection containing works by rembrant, gainsborough, rubens and many other 18th century artists (and earlier) also has about 3 different temporary exhibitions a year. The gallery was designed by sir john soane ( who designed the bank of england amongst many other buildings) and contains the mausoleum of the original gallery owners as a rather quirky touch.Also has shop and cafe - though once i'm through with the exhibitions i usually make my way to the excellent crown&greyhounds pub ( 10 minute walk) where i can get a decent pint of ale and an excellent dinner at a reasonable price.Also in the vicinity is the horniman museum where entry is free and the permanent exhibits include fossils,stuffed animals/birds,a huge collection of musical instruments, an aquarium with jelly fish, seahorses and loads more and last but not least a dead mermaid! ( ok its half a monkey sewn onto half a fish) read more

Dulwich Picture Gallery staff were rude and condescending. The gallery has a lot of rules regarding what visitors aren't allowed to do which staff very rudely enforce, which really spoils enjoyment. read more