Victoria and Albert Museum, London

Background information
The V&A is the world's greatest museum of art and design. Founded in 1852, the Museum is renowned for the immense diversity of its collections, which embrace furniture, fashion, textiles, paintings, silver, glass, ceramics, jewellery, books, prints and photographs. Housed in magnificent Victorian buildings, these collections illustrate the artistic life of many different cultures, from European to South East Asian, American to Islamic, over hundreds of generations.

The Silver Galleries have now re-opened and feature over 1000 pieces from 1800 to the present day, beautifullly displayed in a restored Victorian setting.

British Galleries 1500-1900

Inspirational, beautiful and unmatched in scope, the stunning new British Galleries display the most comprehensive collection of British design and art on view anywhere in the world. They contain some of Britain's most significant cultural treasures including Henry VIII's writing desk, James II's wedding suit and the famous Great Bed of Ware.

The fifteen galleries tell the story of British design from the Tudor period to the Victorian era and display the V&A's unrivalled collection of historic British furniture, textiles, dress, ceramics, glass, jewellery, silver, prints, paintings and sculpture. Every major name in the history of British design is represented, including Grinling Gibbons, Robert Adam, William Morris and Charles Rennie Mackintosh as well as workshops and manufacturers such as the Mortlake tapestry works, Spitalfields silks weaving workshops, Wedgwood, Doulton and Liberty.

The Galleries offer both a chronological survey of the history of British design and an exploration of four major themes: Style, examining how things looked in terms of their form and decoration; Who Led Taste?, exploring the people and institutions that shaped and influenced design; Fashionable Living, looking at how new lifestyles and habits went hand in hand with changes in design and What Was New?, investigating innovative objects, designs and manufacturing techniques.

The Galleries combine modern displays, five exquisitely restored period rooms and the latest technology. Interactive programmes enable you to identify the characteristic shapes or motifs of different styles, explore a painting or date a design. There are also videos and audio programmes, including music and commentaries on selected objects and throughout the galleries there are facsimile books and things to touch and handle.

The transformation of the British Galleries is the V&A's largest project for over half a century and with over 3000 exhibits on display in magnificent new surroundings, the result is a truly exceptional experience not to be missed.

A magnificent collection of European Silver 1400-1800 known as the Whiteley Silver Galleries.

Photography Gallery

Highlighting works from the V&A's world renowned collection of 300,000 images with works from the birth of photography in 1839 to the present day.

Paintings Gallery

The V&A's collection of oils and watercolours will be returning to their elegant galleries - due for opening November 2003.

Particularly interesting for Coins and Medals   Costume   Design   Drawings and Watercolours   Ecclesiastical Art   Embroidery   Furniture and Woodwork   Glass   Ironwork   Ivories   Jewellery   Metalwork and Goldsmiths   Miniatures   Musical Instruments   Oriental Arts and Crafts   Paintings   Photography   Prints   Sculpture   Silver   Stained Glass   Typography  

Listed under Pre-Raphaelite   Top 10   Museums with Web Sites  

Highlights of the Collection

Other artists represented in the Collection

Visitors Forum

I have for some time made stained glass panels and recently made some for our church, do Victorian stained glass pattern books exist and how would I find them.

Mr M B Gallagher - 2006-03-23

What ceramic pieces by American artist Dorothy Feiblebaum do you exhibit? (I am not certain I am spelling her name correctly.)

Thank you.
ArlettaN - 2006-03-17

Do you have an exhibition of tapestries or wall hangings of the 17th century?

Thank you
Claire Jones - 2006-01-16

Could you please send me John McCaffrey's title. We are addressing Christmas cards.

Thank you.
Phyllis Huber - 2005-12-06

hi,

I am going to london in Aug.05 I am eager to see the original

paintings of 'Sir John Everett Millais', pre-raphalite artist from Royal Academy. Please guide me about where his work is displyed,which art gallery should I visit?

thank you,

A. Ghaisas

India
A. Ghaisas - 2005-06-11

I have a very large painting entitled "Durham" which was exhibitied at the Royal Academy in London in 1890. The artist is

A. Stevens. It is a beautiful landscape with the cathedral of Durham as its centerpiece. I am interested in any information you might have about the artist as I would like to find other work by same.

Thank you,

JLK
JLK - 2005-05-17

Do you have any (oil) paintings by Charles Compton - a Victorian, who exhibited at the Royal Academy in the middle of the 19th century?

bruce young - 2001-04-12