The first of 2 articles on Dulwich Picture Gallery’s past entrances, and some additional eccentricities, by Dr Jan Piggott, former keeper of the archives at Dulwich College and author of ‘Dulwich College – a History’.
PICTURE ONE
WOOD ENGRAVING 1851
On 13 February 1851 the French magazine L’Illustration, Journal Universel (a rather feeble continental imitator of the Illustrated London News), published a charming wood-engraving of the entrance to the Dulwich College Picture Gallery showing some visitors; the work was by the young artist and engraver Louis Marvy (b. 1815), delicate in health, who had died the previous year. Befriended by Thackeray after he fled to England from his involvement in the revolutionary storms of Paris in 1848, he published Sketches after the English Landscape Painters in 1850.
The article illustrated with this image described the anachronistic abuses cherished by the English at the time as typified by the institution of Dulwich College. Six years after this was written ‘Alleyn’s College of God’s Gift’ was to be reformed by Act of Parliament, transforming the unsuccessful charity school into the great academic institution that within a few decades was to outdo famous public schools. The Foundation of Edouard Alleyne, situated au milieu d’un pays délicieux, with its greatly increased endowment in the first half of the nineteenth century was said to be trapped in mortmain and richesse stérile. The busybody foreigner suggested an enlargement of the charity’s benefits, and rudely pointed out that the people who ran it were content to follow the Founder’s statutes, hinting at the personal advantage of the system to them. He was, of course, quite right.
He went on to trace the bequest of the Gallery, its history and magnificent collection, calling it a most attractive excursion for artists and amateurs, among des perspectives charmantes of a village he refers to as un des plus pittoresques des environs de Londres: c’est une des résidences [of localities in the suburbs] que les riches négociants [business men] de la Cité recherchent le plus: aussi le nombre de cottages y augmente chaque année.
The engraving shows the original entrance lobby; until the Gallery was rebuilt after the War in 1953 one entered it from here and turned to left through what are now the great (closed) South doors. Soane’s skylights and the elevation to the upper left of the picture are rendered absurdly inaccurately. Behind the wall on the left lie the entrances to the apartments for the six Poor Sisters, Alleyn’s almsfolk, who were housed in the suite of rooms on the west side of the Gallery, on either side of the Mausoleum, now of course converted to picture rooms; from a later ground-plan it seems as if there were outside lavatories behind the Gallery wall flanking the garden entrance in the forecourt.
The old ladies had fire-places in their rooms, as the chimneys indicate – a risky combination for a Gallery. The artist has made a hash of Soane’s acroteria on the parapet. There was, by the way, no artificial lighting in the Gallery until 1953, although formal dinners were held there by candlelight for Royal Academicians in its early history.
The tale continues on Friday with Sir Charles Barry’s porch and the curator who ‘improved’ the Gallery’s paintings.
Another local history post by Jan Piggott
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3 Comments
I wasn’t aware of this image – thank you, Jan. It is assumed that this porch was designed by George Tappen, who took over responsibility for the building after Soane moved on. It looks absurdly unimposing – but it is so important to realise that it was through this tiny building (and its successor by Barry) that everyone got their first glimpse of the Gallery interior . It explains why the enfilade view features so often in engravings and photographs – that was the ‘wow’ effect – through this tiny, insignificant, dark doorway, turn left and suddenly the whole gallery opened up before you.
My wife remembers an un-lit gallery about 1958, but she is not sure if it was only the side rooms that were un-lit.
I think electricity wasnt installed in the Gallery until the 1970s.