Lot Essay
Dulwich Picture Gallery holds the distinction of being the first purpose built public art gallery in England, and opened to the public in 1817. The building was designed by the eminent architect Sir John Soane (1753-1837), famous for his design of the Bank of England and posthumously for the John Soane Museum. The majority of the original collection was bequeathed to Dulwich College by Sir Francis Bourgeois, R.A. (1753-1911), with the funds provided to open a museum for the public. Soane's design was inspirational and has influenced gallery design to this day. The basic idea was to create small interlinking rooms with natural light provided by skylights overhead, providing indirect light, seen here in Stephanoff's impression.
In the present lot, the picture in the left foreground is Veronese's Saint Jerome with a donor (Girolamo Petrobelli); opposite it is the Madonna of the Rosary by Murillo, while above that is Studio of Reynolds Calling of Samuel. In the gallery beyond Stephanov has depicted Van Dyck's Samson and Delilah, and above a copy of Titian's Venus and Adonis. On the arch at the right is Murillo's famous Flower Girl, and above it Paggi's Venus and Cupid; on the back wall it is possible to see Gainsborough's Linley Sisters.
The son of a Russian immigrant, Stephanoff became the official "historical painter in watercolours to William IV", painting mainly historical subjects including incidents in the lives of famous painters such as
Rubens and Titian. He also embarked on a series of drawings inspired by the British Museum.
In the present lot, the picture in the left foreground is Veronese's Saint Jerome with a donor (Girolamo Petrobelli); opposite it is the Madonna of the Rosary by Murillo, while above that is Studio of Reynolds Calling of Samuel. In the gallery beyond Stephanov has depicted Van Dyck's Samson and Delilah, and above a copy of Titian's Venus and Adonis. On the arch at the right is Murillo's famous Flower Girl, and above it Paggi's Venus and Cupid; on the back wall it is possible to see Gainsborough's Linley Sisters.
The son of a Russian immigrant, Stephanoff became the official "historical painter in watercolours to William IV", painting mainly historical subjects including incidents in the lives of famous painters such as
Rubens and Titian. He also embarked on a series of drawings inspired by the British Museum.