There are many reasons why you might decide to visit Dulwich Picture Gallery. In my case, this was to view a particular exhibition entitled ‘Reframed: The Woman in the Window’.

A fellow blogger alerted me to this event which definitely illustrates the power of blogging! The blogger in question blogs at https://frugalfashionshopper.co.uk/ and is one of my favourite blog writers.

Dulwich is in South East London and the area where the Gallery is situated is very upmarket! The last time I visited the Gallery was over thirty years ago, when I was living in Streatham and working in Mitcham (the opposite to upmarket!)

I drove up to Dulwich which took about one and a half hours. This was much less complicated than trying to get there by public transport. I was able to park, for free, in Gallery Road; another surprise for South London.

Dulwich Picture Gallery is the world’s first purpose built art gallery and was opened to the public in 1817, making it also the oldest art gallery in London. It has a collection of over 600 paintings, including works by Rembrandt, Rubens, Gainsborough and Canaletto.

The exhibition I went to see definitely lived up to and possibly exceeded my expectations. It featured over fifty works, all reflecting the theme of the ‘woman in the window’. Artists included; Dante Gabriel Rossetti, David Hockney, Rembrandt, Pablo Picasso and many more besides.  

‘Girl at a Window’, painted in 1645 by Rembrandt, initially inspired the exhibition and is part of the gallery’s own collection.

This striking painting is by Gabriel Metsu, another Dutch painter. It shows an African woman seated behind a stone sill, wearing red velvet and pearls and dates from the 17th century. I find this image very interesting and appealing. I would like to know more about the subject.

There were not only paintings to view. This impressive limestone sculpture is of Saint Avia looking out from a window through bars. She was incarcerated for her Christian beliefs and it is said that the Virgin Mary gave her communion, in prison. The sculpture dates from 1500.

I love this painting by Ajarb Bernard Ategwa, in particular the bright colours.

I also liked this modern image taken by the German photographer Wolfgang Tillmans. It portrays the DJ Smokin Jo.

Although I took a lot of photos, the last one I am sharing with you is a work by Picasso, entitled ‘La Femme à la fenêtre’ and produced in 1952. It is of his sometime lover Françoise Gilot.

I found this exhibition interesting and thought provoking. I particularly enjoyed the diversity of the works on display. Unfortunately, the exhibition finished on the 4th September but I will definitely return to the Dulwich Picture Gallery in the future.