Dulwich Picture Gallery
- Art lovers
- Families with children
What Visitors Say
I’ve been to this gallery many times before but never thought to drop a review. Today I visited again for the Konrad Mägi exhibition (as it’s due to end in early July) and, as I had yet another lovely visit, I figured I should leave one at last. It’s a fairly small gallery, I usually spend a couple of hours there. There are some free exhibitions and a paid installation normally. Concession tickets available. I just find the gallery tends to display works that I find inspiring and colourful and there’s usually a variety of different artists and often people I don’t know about (I’m not a huge art expert). The staff are helpful. The gift shop is gorgeous and sells the most unique items I’ve seen from a gallery gift shop. There’s a coffee shop on site that always seems popular. It’s clean, cool in the heat. The grounds are lovely in autumn and today there was a small craft fair with independent creators. Parking outside on Gallery Road, there are some set bays and I’m not sure about the restrictions there but there are also unmarked sections around one minute walk from an entrance. All in all, it’s a very nice community feeling gallery and well worth spending a day in this general area if (like me) you’re not from these ends.
Must see if you like the old Masters like Rembrandt, Gainsborough, Peter Paul Rubens, Jan von Huysum, Anthony von Dyck. Otherwise skip. Very nice coffee and snack shop. High quality, small collection, well lit, not crowded. Hit like if appropriate
A lovely gallery, with a beautiful permanent collection. The building stands in time, facing the leafy tree tops of Dulwich park. Walking around the gallery's grounds, interesting sculptures line the path. Worth a visit, especially for an exhibition.
I visited this gallery specifically for the 'Yoshida: Three Generations of Japanese Printmaking' exhibition, and it was absolutely fascinating. Seeing how an entire family has dedicated themselves to art across different generations and styles was a highlight the history behind their work is truly inspiring. The gallery holds a special place in the city as the oldest public art gallery in England. It has an intimate and peaceful atmosphere that you simply don’t find in the massive museums of central London. The architecture and the way the rooms are lit create a very focused, calm experience. It’s a rewarding visit for any art lover looking for a quieter, more curated space.
We had an 11.30 booked slot for the Anna Ancher exhibition. We parked right outside the gallery for free. The exhibition was wonderful and we are so happy we went. The permanent collection is great too with quite a few famous paintings. The cafe is very nice and very busy. 15 minutes wait for a table at lunch time. We had the smoked mackerel open sandwich and the Aubergine rolls which were both so tasty. I recommend this gallery.
Highlights
Soane’s Top-Lit Enfilade
Prototype for museum design everywhereNatural light from above means paintings sit in calm shadow—your eyes do less work, your brain does more.
Main suite of galleries
The Mausoleum
Collectors at the heart of the planFounders Bourgeois and Desenfans rest inside the gallery—Soane literally builds memory into circulation.
Central chapel-like rotunda
Frames as Architecture
Gilded ‘rooms’ within roomsLook past the paint: carved frames stage the pictures and converse with Soane’s mouldings.
Throughout
Opening Hours
Fun Facts
Rembrandt’s small portrait ‘Jacob de Gheyn III’ has been stolen four times from Dulwich—earning the nickname ‘the Takeaway Rembrandt’.
Dulwich’s plan of linked, top-lit rooms became the template for 19th- and 20th-century galleries worldwide.
The mausoleum in the plan isn’t an add-on: Soane designed the building around it, fusing memorial and museum.
