No Soane Unturned

Pre-unification Italy, seen through the eyes of British artists is the focus of a new exhibition, ‘Italy in the Age of Turner’ at the Dulwich Picture Gallery, at a time when the gallery itself prepares for a year of change and redevelopment next year.

A programme of structural change will take place from January 1999 and will concentrate upon modernising the gallery’s facilities. The £8 million project will be partially funded by £5 million of lottery money with the remaining amount coming from private donations. The centrepiece of the project is the construction of a new building at the Dulwich site, which will include a 120-capacity lecture theatre, a café, an exhibition area and an auditorium for concerts and other events.

Meanwhile, Sir John Soane’s building, which has stood since 1811, will also be refurbished. This will include a modernisation process with the atmospheric control plant being replaced to allow for seasonal fluctuations in temperature. In addition, the roof will be renovated and a new daylight control system installed to maintain a standard level of light on the paintings.

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