History of the paintings collection
The Paintings collection was an original part of the Museum of Ornamental Art, later re-named the Victoria and Albert Museum, which opened at South Kensington in June 1857.…
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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.
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The Sheepshanks collection
In 1857 Sheepshanks founded the paintings collection of the V&A with a gift of 233 paintings and a similar number of drawings to found a 'National Gallery of British Art'.
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Painting and Drawing in the Archive of Art & Design
The V&A's Archive of Art and Design holds the working papers of individual artists and designers, as well as the records of companies and associations involved in all aspec…
Read articleBecome a V&A Member
V&A Members enjoy a wealth of benefits, including free entry to exhibitions, previews, exciting events and the V&A Members’ Room. In addition, you will be supporting the vital work of the V&A.
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The Painted World: From Illumination to Abstraction (Paperback)

The Painted World takes the outstanding collections of the V&A as the starting point for an all-inclusive survey of painting from the Middle Ages …
Buy nowEvent - Paintings Gallery Tour
Thu 23 May 2013 11:00

The V&A’s collection of British and European oil paintings is less well known than its holdings of sculpture and the applied arts, however the Museum has acquired oil paintings since its foundation.
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