Thomas Dalling Barlee

This London-based draftsman spent his evenings in the British Museum’s print room, copying old masters by candlelight. He loved biblical scenes but treated them like gossip, Joseph’s brothers whispering, the woman caught in adultery smirking at the viewer. His lines are so crisp they feel like gossip overheard at a pub.

Start with Go and Sin No More in the gallery’s “Biblical Backstage” cluster; it’s the one where the woman’s raised eyebrow makes you feel like you’ve just interrupted something.