British
Dulwich Picture Gallery's British School holdings offer a
fascinating insight into the history of collecting. This is
arguably true of all our collections; but unlike, say, the Dutch,
Flemish, Italian, or French Schools, the British paintings did not
for the most part arrive in the Gallery via the famouse Buorgeois
bequest of 1811 (althought there are some fine British paintings in
that bequest also). A significant group of them considerably
predate Francis Bourgeois, originating in the bequests of Edward
Alleyn and William Cartwright, actors both, in the 17th century
(1626 and 1686 respectively). Until 1994 when the Gallery became an
independent charitable trust, Dulwich Picture Gallery was in fact
known as Dulwich College Picture Gallery; we were governed
by the College - and Dulwich College was founded by Alleyn. Our
joint history with that famous public school means that there have
been paintings on display on this site for nearly four hundred
years, not just the two hundred we usually brag about (and we are
right to brag; our foundation in 1811 means that we are the oldest
public art gallery in England). There are no outright masterpieces
in the two actors' collections; their interest lies in the simple
fact of their existence - two aspirational collections put together
by non-aristocrats in the entertainment business intent on
bettering their perceived standing in the world.
Want to read further?
Purchase the British catalogue online.