Design and design history study guide
Recommended resources for finding information on design and design history, and how to find design drawings in the …
Read article
History of the V&A and the Schools of Design study guide
Recommended resources for investigating the history of the V&A and its collections and the Schools of Design.…
Read article
The Arundel Society - techniques in the art of copying
The Arundel Society (1848-97) saw the progress of art in England as being dependent on popular ttaste. It was estab…
Read article
1858 exhibition of the Photographic Society of London
The 1858 exhibition was the first exhibition of photographs to be held in any museum. Consisting of 1009 photograph…
Read article
The V&A's computer art collections
The V&A has been collecting computer-generated art and design since the 1960s, and has also acquired two significan…
Read article
Art Deco: design influences
Art Deco, like its forerunner Art Nouveau, was an eclectic style and drew on many sources. Designers sought to infuse jaded traditions with new life and to create a modern style based on a revitalised decorative language.
National Art Library Great Exhibition collection
The National Art Library holds a number of collections relating to the International Exhibitions including documentation on the Great Exhibition of 1851, the Schools of Design and the papers of Sir Henry Cole, the first Director of the South Kensington Museum (renamed the Victoria & Albert Museum in 1899).
Wallpaper design reform
Pugin's principle of historical authenticity in the design of ornament, and his belief that only flat patterns should adorn flat surfaces, became the fundamental tenets of the design reform movement. In the 1850s these ideas were promoted through the Government's Schools of Design in South Kensington, and by several individuals connected with them: the painter Richard Redgrave, Principal of the School; Sir Henry Cole, a civil servant, and later the V&A's first Director; and Owen Jones, a leading designer and architect.
Study Room resource: Designing pattern
The Designing Pattern resource box contains a selection of drawings which range in date from the 1830s to the 1940s. They show the interior and exterior decoration of Classical and Egyptian Revival buildings, Indian monuments and plans for modern buildings.
Art Deco: global inspiration
In their creation of a modern style, Art Deco designers drew on distant and ancient cultures. The arts of Africa and East Asia provided rich sources of forms and materials. Archaeological discoveries fuelled a romantic fascination with early Egypt and Mesoamerica.
Donate to the Stained Glass Appeal
We are currently working on an exciting project to conserve and re-install the original stained glass on the landings of the Manfred and Lydia Gorvy Lecture Theatre. We need your help to raise £75,000 to bring these historical features back to their former glory for us all to enjoy.
Give nowShop online
Islamic Arts from Spain
Islamic Arts from Spain tells the fascinating story of the art and design produced in Spain under Islamic rule
Buy nowEvent - Intercultural Tour - The depiction of the female in Asian religious traditions
Mon 28 May 2012 13:00
FREE TALK: Take a comparative look at the depiction of the female in Buddhist, Jain and Hindu traditions, explore the diverse roles that the women played in their respective societies.
