Dulwich Picture Gallery

Dulwich Picture Gallery The world's first public art gallery. Our next exhibition, Yoshida: Three Generations of Printmaking opens 19 June.
(2242)

Dulwich Picture Gallery is the world’s first purpose-built public art gallery: it was founded in 1811 when Sir Francis Bourgeois RA bequeathed his collection of old masters “for the inspection of the public”. Today the Gallery is a vibrant cultural hub hosting some of the UK’s leading exhibitions alongside its Permanent Collection of Baroque masterpieces while staging a wide-ranging programme of public events, practical art and community engagement.

28/08/2026

“I don’t have a philosophy. I have a camera.” Saul Leiter

Portrait of a City: A Century of American Photography curator, Alexander Moore, explores Leiter’s unique perspective.

The exhibition closes 4 October, giving you just over a month to come and visit! Book your tickets online for 10% off.

26/08/2026

While we only found one painting with a cat for International Cat Day…we struggled to choose from our many favourites for today’s International Dog Day! 🐶

Here are some of our favourite good boys from the Collection:

🖼️ Adam Pynacker, Landscape with Sportsmen and Game, c.1661–65, Oil on canvas, Bourgeois Bequest, 1811.
 
🖼️ Robert Muller, Mrs George Morland, c.1792-5, Oil on canvas, Fairfax Murray Gift, 1911.
 
🖼️ David Teniers the Younger, A Guard Room, 1640s, Oil on canvas, Bourgeois Bequest, 1811
 
🖼️ Jean-Antoine Watteau, The Pleasures of the Ball, c.1715-17, Oil on canvas, Bourgeois Bequest, 1811
 
🖼️ Bartolomé Esteban Murillo, Invitation to a Game of Argolla, 1665-70, Oil on canvas, Bourgeois Bequest, 1811

End the summer with a day of family creativity at the Gallery. 🌞Our August Family Festival invites families to experimen...
25/08/2026

End the summer with a day of family creativity at the Gallery. 🌞

Our August Family Festival invites families to experiment, create, explore and play together through a fun programme of workshops, activities and outdoor discoveries. From animation and wild life drawing to face painting and nature-inspired adventures, every activity is designed to inspire curious minds.

📅 Sunday 30 August
⏰ 10am - 4pm

Free entry, with selected ticketed sessions available.

📷 Linda Shakesby

Can you spot a famous name in our 1899 Visitor Book? 👀 Clue - this person's New York home became a museum giving public ...
23/08/2026

Can you spot a famous name in our 1899 Visitor Book? 👀

Clue - this person's New York home became a museum giving public access to their extensive art collection in 1935.

Found it? Towards the bottom of the page you will find the signature 'H C Frick, Pittsburg'.

Henry Clay Frick was an American industrialist, financier, and one of the great art collectors of his day. He visited Dulwich Picture Gallery on this day in 1899. After the death of his wife Adelaide in 1931, their Fifth Avenue mansion became The Frick Collection (opening in 1935).

Frick was just beginning to collect seriously in the 1890s… so who knows? Perhaps his visit to Dulwich helped shape the masterpieces he went on to acquire.

21/08/2026

What does it mean to be a ‘street photographer’?

In this extract from Contemporary Photography in the USA, photographer Gary Winogrand reflects on why he never really identified with the term and what it meant to photograph the world around him.

An extract of the film is currently showing alongside other documentary extracts in Portrait of a City: A Century of American Photography, offering a glimpse into the people and ideas behind some of the exhibition’s photographs.

See it for yourself before Portrait of a City closes 4 October.

Contemporary Photography in the USA was directed by Michael Engel. With thanks to Jaschi Klein.

We are bringing you a blockbuster year of exhibitions in 2027! Here's what you have to look forward to: Jacqueline Marva...
19/08/2026

We are bringing you a blockbuster year of exhibitions in 2027! Here's what you have to look forward to:

Jacqueline Marval
2 February – 9 May 2027
Discover the pioneering French artist behind one of art history's earliest known female n**e self-portraits.

David Shrigley
25 May – 5 September 2027
David Shrigley brings his signature humour into conversation with historic Dutch and Flemish art.

Anwar Jalal Shemza: A Circle, A Square, A Puzzle
21 September 2027 – 17 January 2028
A major retrospective celebrating one of the most original voices of post-war modernism.

Displays
Sahara Longe
16 February – 13 June 2027
New paintings exploring love, loss and grief, inspired by a masterpiece from the Collection.

Caroline Walker
12 October 2027 – 19 March 2028
Through her distinctive observational approach, Caroline Walker shines a light on the staff, visitors and everyday moments that animate the Gallery.

Become a Friend and to be the first to hear when tickets are released and enjoy free access to all our exhibitions. Signup now.

🖼️ Jacqueline Marval, Les Odalisques, 1902 - 1903, Ville de Grenoble, Musée de Grenoble, J.L. Lacroix; Adriaen Brouwer, Interior of a Tavern, c.1630, DPG108 © Dulwich Picture Gallery, London; Anwar Jalal Shemza, Blue Blue Jazz, 1967. Oil on canvas. 91 x 76cms. © Estate of Anwar Jalal Shemza; Anwar Jalal Shemza, Roots Three, 1984. Oil on canvas on a silk mount. 43 x 33cms. © Estate of Anwar Jalal Shemza; Sahara Longe in her London studio, June 2025. Image by Lily Bertrand-Webb. Courtesy Timothy Taylor Caroline Walker, Artist Portrait, 2025 © Alix McIntosh.

19/08/2026

Meet Jason Doyle (), Judges’ Winner of our Your City photography competition.

A local photographer, Jason was drawn to the anticipation and story captured in his winning photograph and now his work is on display as part of the Portrait of a City: A Century of American Photography exhibition.

For World Photography Day, hear Jason talk about his love of photographing the city and what it means to see his work on the Gallery walls.

Yesterday, we opened our doors to our local community groups for a special preview of Portrait of a City: A Century of A...
18/08/2026

Yesterday, we opened our doors to our local community groups for a special preview of Portrait of a City: A Century of American Photography. 📸

While the Gallery was closed to the public, we welcomed community groups for an afternoon of photography, creativity and connection, with a tour of the Collection, creative workshops and plenty of time to explore the show together.

Our Community Previews are a chance to experience art in a relaxed, informal setting, meeting others, trying something new and seeing the Gallery from a different perspective.

A huge thank you to everyone who joined us!

17/08/2026

Traditional marshmallows anyone? We caught up with Head Gardener, Jack, to see how the Sculpture Garden is doing in the hot weather.

Rumour has it there is some rain on the horizon!

You can some and enjoy the Sculpture Garden for free! Take some time to relax in nature, discover our sculptures and treat yourself in our cafe.

13/08/2026

What makes Bruce Davidson’s Subway Series so powerful?

Curator Alexander Moore takes us inside the exhibition’s final room, where Davidson’s photographs immerse us in the energy, tension and humanity of New York’s subway.

Created over five years, the series captures fleeting encounters and deeply psychological moments that still resonate today.

📍 Portrait of a City: A Century of American Photography

🗓️ On now until 4 October

Address

Gallery Road, Dulwich
London
SE217AD

Telephone

+442086935254

Website

Alerts

Be the first to know and let us send you an email when Dulwich Picture Gallery posts news and promotions. Your email address will not be used for any other purpose, and you can unsubscribe at any time.

Shortcuts

Share

Category