The South Kensington Museum, later the Victoria and Albert, 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, today the collection numbers many thousands.

Thumbnail of Chauncy Hare Townshend

Chauncy Hare Townshend

Chauncy Hare Townshend was a friend of Charles Dickens and later his literary executor. He bequeathed to the Museum a large collection of objects including oil paintings, watercolours, drawings, prints, drawings and books.

Thumbnail of Portrait miniatures: other types of small portraiture

Portrait miniatures: other types of small portraiture

This section looks at four other small portrait types which competed successfully with the portrait miniature; so-called 'plumbagos', drawn in graphite or ink on vellum; enamels, painted on gold or copper; silhouettes, or as they were called in Britain 'profiles'; and lastly, portraits in watercolour on paper - a quicker and cheaper method than miniature painting.

Thumbnail of Portrait miniatures: materials & techniques

Portrait miniatures: materials & techniques

The first portrait miniatures were painted by artists trained to illustrate hand-written books. They used similar materials and techniques, painting in watercolour on vellum, a fine animal skin.

Thumbnail of Portrait miniatures: from John Hoskins to Samuel Cooper

Portrait miniatures: from John Hoskins to Samuel Cooper

We do not know who taught John Hoskins miniature painting. But, like Isaac Oliver's son Peter, he used real silver and gold to create jewels, a technique invented by Hilliard.

Thumbnail of A souvenir from Guangzhou

A souvenir from Guangzhou

Very few export paintings of this type remain in the collections in Guangzhou; consequently they are regarded with great interest by Chinese scholars as an invaluable documentation of the history, activities and socio-cultural exchanges that took place around the Pearl River Delta during the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries.

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.

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Blank Watercolour Postcard Book

Blank Watercolour Postcard Book

Postcard book containing 16 blank watercolour cards to paint/design yourself

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Event - Celebrating British Design

Sun 27 May 2012 11:00

SPECIAL EVENT: Join leading artists, including V&A ceramicist in residence Louisa Taylor and comic book artist Brian Williamson for a day of workshops celebrating British Design.

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