This gallery nestled in the leafy suburb of Dulwich in South London, holds the distinction of being the world's first purpose-built public art gallery. It came about when in 1790 the King of Poland commissioned two art dealers in London to create a royal collection just for him, from scratch. The duo spent five years amassing paintings that are today regarded as masterpieces, however in the interim period Poland became partitioned, eventually losing its status as an independent state. The two men found themselves with a bunch of artworks and nowhere suitable for them, and so after the remaining art dealer bequeathed the collection to Dulwich College in his will, stipulating it must be accessible to the public, Dulwich Picture Gallery was born.
Designed by Sir John Soane and opened in 1811, its neoclassical architecture perfectly suits the collection of more than 600 works by European masters including Rembrandt, Rubens and Gainsborough. In keeping with its original ethos of making art accessible, there is free entry for under 18s and anyone under 30 gets a 50% discount on ticket prices.
