Description

SOUTHWARK

TQ3373 GALLERY ROAD
636-1/15/359 (East side)
30/06/54 Dulwich Picture Gallery and
Mausoleum

GV II*

Art gallery and mausoleum. 1811-14, repaired and partly
rebuilt after severe World War II damage, reopening in 1953.
Sir John Soane. Redecorated (according to original designs),
1980-1.
MATERIALS: yellow brick with stone dressings; C20 glazed
lantern roof.
PLAN: E-plan comprising sequence of galleries with a mausoleum
on the central axis, flanked by small almshouses (converted to
galleries late C19) between projecting wings all in severe
neo-Greek style. Stone base course and stone frieze and flat
cornice continuous around entire building.
EXTERIOR: main west front of 2 storeys, 9 main bays.
Projecting mausoleum in centre; cruciform plan, 2 stages.
Doors in round-arched recesses to each of 3 short arms.
Paired, brick angle pilasters support break-front stone
entablature, crowned by a stone sarcophagus above each door.
2nd stage a square stone chamber with large leaded windows on
all 4 sides. Segmental pediments on square podium above, with
urns at corners and urn finial in centre.
Interior of mausoleum entrance uses Greek Doric order with
shallow dome. Lantern above 'chancel' suppported on arcades.
Flanking mausoleum on west front an inner section of 3
round-headed windows in round-arched recesses, with a blank
recess at either side and stone cornice over.
Windowless 1st-floor well set back, with recessed panels.
Projecting 1-bay end sections with segmental-headed blank
window on both floors, that on ground floor in
segmental-arched recess, between coupled brick angle
pilasters. Moulded band at 1st-floor sills. Key pattern to
frieze above windows.
East front in similar style with entrance hall on axis. Same
motifs used with slight variation on east, north and south
elevations. Recessed 3-bay sections flanking entrance are
copper-roofed. Key pattern to frieze at centre and outer
sections. Chimney stacks with Soanean antefixae.
INTERIOR: not inspected.
HISTORICAL NOTE: the first public art gallery in England,
founded by Sir Francis Bourgeois. Much of collection brought
together by art-dealer for King Stanislas of Poland, Noel

Desenfans. Mausoleum contains remains of Mr and Mrs Desenfans
and of Sir Francis Bourgeois.

Listing NGR: TQ3308473628

External Links

• Historic England Listing
• Dulwich Picture Gallery at Wikipedia
• Dulwich Picture Gallery official website
• Wikidata Q1241163

External links are from the relevant listing authority and, where applicable, Wikidata. Wikidata IDs may be related buildings as well as this specific building. If you want to add or update a link, you will need to do so by editing the Wikidata entry.

Recommended Books

• 
  Gloucestershire 2: The Vale and The Forest of Dean: Vale and Forest of Dean Pt. 2 (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Wiltshire (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
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  Cumbria: Cumberland, Westmorland and Furness (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
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  Somerset: South and West (Pevsner Architectural Guides) (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Gloucestershire 1: The Cotswolds: Cotswolds Pt. 1 (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Hertfordshire (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)