The cold, Dulwich picture Gallery

by | May 19, 2017 | Latest Post | 0 comments

Reading Time: 4 minutes
Wednesday 18 May 1664

Up and within all the morning, being willing to keep as much as I could within doors, but receiving a very wakening letter from Mr. Coventry about fitting of ships, which speaks something like to be done, I went forth to the office, there to take order in things, and after dinner to White Hall to a Committee of Tangier, but did little. So home again and to Sir W. Pen, who, among other things of haste in this new order for ships, is ordered to be gone presently to Portsmouth to look after the work there. I staid to discourse with him, and so home to supper, where upon a fine couple of pigeons, a good supper; and here I met a pretty cabinet sent me by Mr. Shales, which I give my wife, the first of that sort of goods I ever had yet, and very conveniently it comes for her closett. I staid up late finding out the private boxes, but could not do some of them, and so to bed, afraid that I have been too bold to-day in venturing in the cold.

This day I begun to drink butter-milke and whey, and I hope to find great good by it.

I don’t know whether it has escaped your attention but we’re talking about a fairly spirited individual wondering if he has damaged himself by venturing out in the cold. Here, we have mid May. We may take for granted such things as damp proofing, ventilation systems, building regulations in general but obviously these things were troubling to our worthy diarist.

Today was the last day of my trip to London which coincided with the repair my computer which now seems to be flying along ably enough. We visited the West Dulwich Picture gallery which is celebrating its second centenary in this summer. It was founded in 1817. It is a small but beautifully proportioned gallery that has special exhibitions from time to time. It attracts the upper-class wives of the business people who can afford to live in this very expensive area where it is almost impossible to get a decent house for less than £1 million.

The gallery is currently showing works by Vanessa Bell (1879 to 1961). I note that this gallery is self funded and enjoys no subsidy either local or national. However, to charge between £11.50 and £12.50 for the contents of one corridor seems to be a little bit out of proportion. The blockbuster David Hockney in the Tate Britain which is about to finished at the end of this month of May 2017 costs if I recall £17.50. I understand the Bell exhibition like all others has start-up costs but I do feel that the charge point is a little bit full.

For those of you who have not been before, there is an excellent cafe adjacent to the gallery itself, a workshop room, another exhibition room, and a lovely little miniature Park which I would thoroughly recommend you take a look at. Most of this part of Dulwich is owned by Dulwich College where my father had the fortune to be educated. it was created in 1619, contemporaneous with the life of Samuel Pepys. the annotations are quite scholarly and there is no doubt that the art lover will discover much to exercise them.

A model of the original building preceded by a comment

a model of the original building

a scholarly if brief introduction to this picture

please compare the presence and dignity of this image with the one below. Spot the differences. Limit your comments to one side of A4

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