Street artists from all over the world have created works in and around Dulwich, London, inspired by 17th and 18th century paintings from the permanent collection at Dulwich Picture Gallery.
In 2012 the street artist Stik met Ingrid Beazley, a teacher at Dulwich Picture Gallery, England's oldest public art museum.
They agreed that not enough young people knew about, appreciated, and so visited Dulwich Picture Gallery's wonderful permanent collection, comprised mainly of 'old masters' from the Baroque period, and not many older people, especially those who lived outside the east end of London, knew much about, and appreciated street art.
They decided to do something about it.
Renowned street artists from all over the world were invited into Dulwich Picture Gallery and asked to choose a painting that particularly inspired them and interpret it in their own style on the streets around Dulwich Picture Gallery.
Street art followers have come to Dulwich/Peckham/Nunhead to see works by the artists they admire, and, understanding the link to the old masters, they have discovered Dulwich Picture Gallery as well.
Local residents have been watching quality murals by the world's top street artists go up in their area. Generally the reactions has been very positive.
Thierry Noir, famous for painting the Berlin wall at risk of his life throughout the 1980s, chose 'Joseph Receiving Pharaoh's Ring' 1733-5 by Giambattista Tiepolo.
The half figures suit Noir's compositional style, and his simple, colourful shapes work well near the children's playground in Dulwich Park.
System and Remi Rough (both from the UK), members of the Agents of Change, collaborated on a wall opposite East Dulwich station...
System painted a modern version of Rembrandt's 'Girl at a Window', 1645, and Rough created an abstracted background based on 'The Triumph of David' by Nicholas Poussin, 1628-31.
Phlegm (from the UK) also chose a detail from 'The Triumph of David' by Nicholas Poussin. He painted this strange trumpeter in Poussin's celebrating crowd, near a primary school. The children love it.
Charlotte Walsh, wall owner.
'Phelgm’s mural, and all the others I have seen so far are just great. My son Kaius loved giving him a hand, and I am so grateful to him for letting him have an input...he feels proud to of been a part of it, and now feels very protective towards the wall!'
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David Shillinglaw (from the UK) chose 'Samson and Delilah' by Anthony van Dyck, 1618 to interpret on the Florence pub in Herne Hill.
David has used Van Dyck's strong diagonal and his flowing lines of fabric, and incorporated the scared yet fascinated eyes of the onlookers and the numerous hands. He uses colour symbolically: red for drama, danger, violence and a broken heart.
RUN (from Italy) chose the top part of 'The Translation of Saint Rita of Cascia' by Nicholas Poussin 1630, that shows the saint being transported on clouds to a convent, somewhere she had always wanted to go.
Wearing similarly flowing robes, RUN's St Rita is careering down into the convent, whereas Poussin's saint is journeying in a more sedate manner.
REKA (from Australia) chose a part of 'Europa and the Bull', the 17th century painting by Guido Reni.
'I paint a lot of female figures in motion using flowing hair as a way to give the piece a dynamic quality. In a sense it is moving on the wall' REKA
Faith47 (from South Africa) also chose 'Europa and the Bull' by the 17th century artist Guido Reni to interpret. She also left out the bull.
'The absence of the bull and the introduction of a guiding bird are suggestive of a premonition of the abduction to come, her inner emotions and thoughts or perhaps a new interpretation of the ancient fable.' Faith47
MadC (from Germany) took into account the location of the wall she was given. She chose 'Vase with Flowers', 1720, by Jan van Huysum and wove his flowers and insects into her signature.
ROA (from Belgium) only paints animals. He scoured the 17th century Dutch paintings in Dulwich Picture Gallery and chose a dog that features prominantly in 'Landscape with Sportsmen and Game' 1665, by Adam Pynacker.
Appropriately for a children's playground, Stik chose to interpret 'Three Boys' 1670, by Bartolome Esteban Murillo. These 17th century Seville street urchins and negotiating for food and drink. Their ragged clothes and dirty feet position them in the social hierarchy.
Stik's children are interacting too, but without reference to clothes, colour or gender they are universal children and perhaps easier to identify with.
Stik had help to paint this from children at a local primary school.