This is the subject hub for the V&A Paintings collection which includes superlative holdings of British watercolours and portrait miniatures as well as over 2,000 British and European oil paintings.
History of the paintings collection
The Paintings collection was an original part of the Museum of Ornamental Art, later re-named the Victoria and Albe…
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The Raphael Cartoons
The Raphael Cartoons were commissioned from the great Italian Renaissance painter Raphael Sanzio (1483-1520) in 151…
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Studies for 'The Hay Wain', by John Constable, 1821
Originally exhibited under the title 'Landscape: Noon', the finished painting was referred to by Constable's friend…
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'Young Man Among Roses' by Nicholas Hilliard (1547–1619)
Nicholas Hilliard's 'Young Man Among Roses' has come to epitomise the romantic vision of the sonnet hero of Shakesp…
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Watercolour painting: materials & techniques
Watercolour paint is a combination of a pigment and a water-soluble binder, usually gum arabic. The pigments may be natural or man-made.
'The Osama scroll', painted scroll by Madhu Chitrakar, 2004
Painted scrolls have been used in Bengal in eastern India for centuries as a means of telling religious stories and also of informing people about important current events. The attacks on New York on September 11th 2001 quickly became the subject of scroll paintings.
Painting Portrait Miniatures
Historical documents and observation reveal the lost skill of painting miniatures, from rubbing animal skin with an animal tooth to ensure a smooth surface to using a hot needle to apply a layer of resin over silver.
Touring exhibition: Kalighat Paintings
This exhibition, a collaboration with the Victoria Memorial Hall in Kolkata, charts the development of the Kalighat style of painting.
Jain manuscript paintings (Vinod Kapashi)
Vinod Kapashi talks about Jain manuscript paintings from the Kalpa Sutra & Uttaradhyayana Sutra
A gift in your will
You may not have thought of including a gift to a museum in your will, but the V&A is a charity and legacies form an important source of funding for our work. It is not just the great collectors and the wealthy who leave legacies to the V&A. Legacies of all sizes, large and small, make a real difference to what we can do and your support can help ensure that future generations enjoy the V&A as much as you have.
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The Painted World: From Illumination to Abstraction
A richly illustrated book that seeks to redress the balance by exploring the wider history of painting and includes a broad range of painted works, from stained glass to items of costume.
Buy nowEvent - Eric Ravilious
Sat 17 November 2012 10:30
STUDY DAY: Discover the work of one of the most versatile and talented artists of Britain’s inter-war generation. This day reviews Ravilious’s paintings, designs, illustrations, and his work as a War artist and his relationship with contemporaries like Edward Bawden.
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