Tucked away in a leafy area of South London, Dulwich Picture Gallery is a real hidden gem.
Designed by the renowned architect Sir John Soane, the site first opened to the public in 1817, making it the oldest public gallery in England. Its permanent collection boasts a huge range of works by the Old Masters, including Rembrandt van Rijn, Thomas Gainsborough, and Peter Paul Rubens.
The bulk of this collection was built up by a chap named Sir Francis Bourgeois, along with his business partner Noël Desenfans.The paintings were meant to go to Stanisław II August, king of the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth. But when his country broke apart, Francis and Noël found themselves in possession of an extensive, world-class collection of European art!
Happily, with money from Bourgeois’ will, as well as a hefty endowment from Desenfans’ widow Margaret, Dulwich Picture Gallery was born – finally giving the collection its forever home!
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