Plaque

Dulwich Picture Gallery
Dulwich Picture Gallery, England's very first public art gallery, was founded in 1811 when Sir Francis Bourgeois RA bequeathed his collection of old masters "for the inspection of the public". Designed by regency architect Sir John Soane, the exhibition spaces are arranged as a series of interlinked rooms illuminated naturally through the skylights, a concept that has had an enduring influence on art gallery design.

The gallery is an independent museum and charitable trust. It houses one of the world's most important collections of European old master paintings of the 1600s and 1700s. Famous works include those of Rembrandt, Gainsborough, Poussin, Watteau, Canaletto, Rubens, Veronese and Murillo amongst many others.

The gallery also hosts a yearly programme of world class temporary exhibitions.