In May we explore Dulwich Village in South London. Dulwich Picture Gallery was founded in 1811,
as England’s first purpose-built public picture gallery, designed by Sir John
Soane. There are many other interesting
buildings – some beautiful Georgian houses, the Old Grammar School, churches, a
big old pub, some alms houses - set in a leafy environment. Dulwich Park offers other sketching
opportunities.
The day is free of charge, no need to book, just turn up
with your art kit. A portable stool
could be useful at this location.
Key times and meeting
points for the day:
11am: Meet at Dulwich Picture Gallery, in or near the café (see
photograph above)
1pm: Meet at the same place at Dulwich Picture Gallery to
look at drawings done so far.
3.30pm: Meet at the Crown and Greyhound pub, Dulwich Village
(see photograph below) to look at drawings done, and take group photographs. We may use the tables in front of the pub, or
inside if the weather is not good.
Options for drawing
include:
Dulwich Picture Gallery: Dulwich Picture Gallery was founded
in 1811, as England’s first purpose-built public picture gallery, designed by
Sir John Soane. Normally there is an
admission charge, but on this date it is free of charge to mark the opening of
the Dulwich Festival. The Dulwich Picture Gallery collection includes works by
Rembrandt, Poussin, Rubens and Canaletto.
There will be on temporary display at the Gallery, Camille Pissarro’s
1871 painting of Dulwich College. The
college is a private school about twenty minutes’ walk away.
Adjoining Dulwich Picture Gallery are old almshouses, a church
Christ’s Chapel of God’s Gift, and across Gallery Road, the Old Grammar School.
Dulwich Park is an extensive park with a lake, and a variety
of planting styles and trees, a café and sports activities. Rhododendrons in the American gardens offer
bold colour at this time of year. There
are large maps of the park displayed inside each entrance.
Dulwich Village has attractive street scenes, small shops,
houses, and schools.
There are some notable Georgian houses including Bell House,
College Road, which is a community owned building likely to be holding a public
exhibition.
Our visit coincides with the opening weekend of the Dulwich
Festival, which runs from 10 to 19 May 2019.
There will be a programme of events which includes many Artists’ Open
Houses; more information on their website.
If the weather is wet, options include drawing inside Dulwich
Picture Gallery, the extensive traditional interiors of the Crown and Greyhound
pub, and inside cafes. The Artists’ Open
Houses of the Dulwich Festival offer other indoor opportunities.
Practical information
Nearest stations are North Dulwich (on a line from London
Bridge) and West Dulwich (on a line from Victoria). Both are national rail, Zone 3. Alternatively, take the Victoria line to
Brixton and catch the P4 bus which stops near Dulwich Picture Gallery. There is useful information about transport
on the Dulwich Picture Gallery website, and the Transport for London website. Dulwich Village has a variety of cafes and
pubs. Other food shops are 20-30 minutes
away; those on a restricted budget could bring a packed lunch. There are toilets in the Gallery, the park
and the cafes.
This day is run by Jo Dungey and Rachel Bone. The photographs and the watercolour of Dulwich
Park are by Jo Dungey.
