Boat-building near Flatford Mill, John Constable, 1815. Museum no. FA.37
COLLECTIONS
Paintings & Drawings
Paintings in the Victoria and Albert Museum's
collection include superlative holdings of British
watercolours, pastels and portrait miniatures as
well as over 2,000 British and European oil
paintings. The collections were largely
formed from a series of gifts from 19th-century
collectors and offer a unique insight into Victorian
picture-collecting practice. As well as videos
on subjects such as block-printed wallpaper
and painting portrait miniatures, this section
includes interactives from the British Galleries
which allow you to explore two paintings in detail.
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British Watercolours 1750 - 1900
The South Kensington Museum, opened in 1857. The first catalogue of the museum's collection of watercolours was published only nineteen years later in 1876, by which time the museum had acquired nearly 500 watercolours.
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A Higher Ambition: Owen Jones (1809–74)
Owen Jones was a versatile architect and designer, and one of the most influential design theorists of the 19th century. Through his work at the 1851 Great Exhibition, he was also a key figure in the foundation of the V&A.
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From Sketch to Product
What do design drawings tell us about the process of design? How does a designer record those important moments of conception, while also communicating vital details about construction, function, surface and style? This blog is a conversation between two tutors at the Royal College of Art - Glenn Adamson (V&A/RCA History of Design) and Tristan Webber (Womenswear) and it documents their explorations of the V&A's vast design drawings collection.
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Archives of Sir Hugh Casson and Margaret Macdonald Casson
The archives of Sir Hugh Casson (1910–1999) and Margaret Macdonald Casson (1913–1999) are important additions to the Museum’s collection of papers of twentieth-century British designers. The archives, which were generously donated by the Casson’s daughters, contain a wealth of material relating to their careers as architects and designers.