Exhibitions
Tove Jansson: 25 October 2017 – 28 January 2018
The first UK retrospective of one of the most celebrated illustrators of the 20th century, Tove Jansson (1914–2001). Known internationally as the creator of the Moomin characters and books, Jansson’s broader output of graphic illustrations and paintings are relatively unseen outside her home country of Finland.
The Private Made Public: Jacopo Bassono, The Adoration of Kings – 10 Oct 2017 – 21 Jan 2018
Usually accessible by appointment only at Burghley House in Lincolnshire, this dazzling renaissance treasure will be given the spotlight in Dulwich for a new London audience.
Special Events
Gallery Lates
6–10pm, £12 Standard, £10 Concessions and Friends
Every month we’re bringing you specially themed Friday Lates that offer the chance to experience the Gallery in an entirely unique way. Start your weekend with exclusive after-hours access to exhibitions, performances, music, workshops and talks – all with a drink in-hand.
Death: A Portrait
3 Nov
Whether it’s the Mausoleum where the founders of the Gallery are buried or commemorative portraits, join us to explore our complex and contradictory attitudes to this emotive subject. Expect everything from talks and tours to death cafés, memento mori workshops and macabre salons.
Lectures & Talks
Dulwich Literary Festival Presents Ali Smith
10 Nov, 7.30pm, £25, £20 Friends
Join us for a very special evening with novelist Ali Smith, who will be discussing how she has been inspired by the art and writing of Tove Jansson and reading from her new book, Winter.
Contextual Lecture Series: Continental Culture: The Road to Europe
All lectures, Tuesday mornings 10.30 – 11.30am, £12, £10 Friends
Throughout this series, we examine facets of European development, social and political unrest and the remapping of a continent.
Professor Thomas Dixon: Rage and Revolution: the History of Anger in Europe
14 Nov
This talk examines a wide range of historical examples of political anger from the French Revolution to Brexit.
Professor Peter Atkins: Science since 1817: Attitudes and Achievements
21 Nov
This lecture will discuss how science flourished in the 19th century and came into bloom in the 20th, having a profound impact on mankind’s attitude.
Derek Taylor: Who do the English think they are?
28 Nov
Look back through history and discover why the English have sometimes been eccentric, snobbish and arrogant, and at other times respecters of democracy, stability and the rule of law.
InSight Lecture Series: Book Illustration: Enriching the Story
10.30-11.30am, Series of 3 £32, £26 Friends. Single lecture £12, £10 Friends
This series explores the way in which some of the finest artists have used illustration to explain, enhance, embellish and add meaning to texts.
The Golden Age of Children’s Book Illustration
8 Nov
This talk looks at how picture books of Walter Crane, Randolph Caldecott and Kate Greenway revolutionised children’s publishing, tracing this practice back to the work of Cruikshank, who influenced many great illustrators.
The Art of the Bible: Illuminated Manuscripts from the British Library
15 Nov
For two millennia the Bible has inspired the creation of art. This lecture will explore a selection of illuminated manuscripts from the treasures of the British Library.
Embellishing and Meaning- Making: Literary Illustration in the Long 18th Century
22 Nov
This talk explores how printed images supported the establishment of the English literary canon.
InTown Lecture Series
7 for 7.30pm, £12, Friends £10
A series of lectures about major exhibitions in other London galleries
Spanish Masterpieces from the Bowes Museum at the Wallace Collection
9 Nov
Dr Xavier Bray, Director of the Wallace Collection, will describe some of the prize pieces within this superb collection of painting, sculpture and decorative art.
Tuesday Evening Lecture Series: Immigrant Artists
7.00 for 7.30pm, £12, £10 Friends
This series of lectures discusses the way in which foreign artists came to influence the work of art in Britain, their British contemporaries and later generations.
Holbein
7 Nov
The work of Hans Holbein the Younger had a tremendous impact on British portraiture, and his depictions of the court of Henry VIII have coloured our view of the period.
Johann Zoffany: Citizen of Nowhere?
14 Nov
This talk looks at the work of German-born Zoffany, an insatiable adventurer who documented the mores of Indian rulers and British royalty with the same keen eye for detail.
David Bomberg: The Lost Artist of the British Avant-Garde
21 Nov
Bomberg was one of the most talented artists associated with The Vorticist movement. This talk examines how his work continues to exert influence on some of the most important British painters working today.
Gallery Film
Each sociable evening includes a complimentary glass of wine, snacks and film notes. Bar opens at 7.00pm. Screenings at 7.30pm. Linbury Room. £9; £7 Friends
Sunday Bloody Sunday
13 Nov
Family Events
Mini Masterpieces: Tove Jansson and the World of the Moomins
7 & 23 Nov
10am – 11am and 11.30am – 12.30pm
£12 per adult & child
Experience the delights of our Collection with your child aged 6-24 months. Enjoy an informal, child-friendly gallery visit followed by a hands-on, sensory art session tailored for you and your baby. We are thrilled to announce that we will be running Tove Jansson themed sessions for the month of November! Explore the world of the Moomins in these very special sessions.
Early Introductions: Tove Jansson
17 Nov
8.30 – 10am, Adults standard exhibition entry charge, children FREE
Gain exclusive access to Tove Jansson (1914–2001) with your little ones! Buggies, roaming toddlers and excited squeals encouraged. Enjoy a flower garland-making activity and a Moomin playhouse in this relaxed, family-friendly viewing.
Art Sundays
2-4pm, £3 per child, Suggested ages: 3yrs+
Sunday is art day! Join us every week for our drop-in workshops and make something special to take home. This November we will be making bonfire night banners, creature collages, and welcoming illustrator Ros Asquith to the gallery!
Puppet Show
12 Nov
10.30am & 1.30pm, £5 per person; babies under one year FREE
Drew Colby will conjure up magical images and stories, making brilliant puppets to delight children of all ages.
Adult Workshops & Courses
Tove Jansson: Passion for Painting
Five Thursdays from 9 Nov – 7 Dec
6.30pm – 8.30pm, £130, £125 Friends
This course will explore Jansson’s imaginative approach to landscapes. You will create your own work in a variety of media, and develop your unique response to place.
Finnish Christmas Crafting
Three Sundays from 19 Nov – 3 Dec
10am – 1pm, £30 per session, or £85 for all three
Explore a different craft each session. From himmeli decorations to Finnish crochet (beginners welcome!) and traditional tähdet stars. Tea and biscuits will be provided while you spend a peaceful morning creating treats for yourself or someone else. Get crafty at one session or all three!
After School Workshops
Make a Mega Book (7-10yrs)
Five Tuesdays from 7 Nov – 5 Dec, 4.30pm – 6pm, £75
Inspired by Tove Jansson’s Moomin stories we will create our own! After an initial session spent deciding on plots, characters and locations, each member of the group will choose a different scene to illustrate. These scenes will be brought together to form a book which everyone will be able to take home.
Autobio-graphical Novels (11-14yrs)
Five Wednesdays from 1 – 29 Nov, 4.30pm – 6pm, £75
Explore how real life influenced the parallel universe Tove Jansson created in Moominvalley and create your own graphic novel, featuring people and experiences from your life.
Drawing the Undrawable (15-18yrs)
25 Nov, 10am – 4pm, £130, £65
Take part in an experimental workshop exploring how to draw things that are not normally or easily represented. Create a portfolio of subjects inspired by Tove Jansson, who mastered the “undrawable”: imagined worlds, risky political propaganda, and her love for her partner Tuulikki.
Off The Wall: Saturday 11 Nov
2 – 4pm. Free. Meet new people, work with a professional artist and engage in lively discussion as you challenge the role of galleries for young people today. Working in the Gallery you will explore universal themes such as love, power, beauty and equality, using our Permanent Collection and temporary exhibitions as your stimuli.
To book your place contact creatives@dulwichpicturegallery.org.uk