Sculpture techniques: bronze casting
Bronze is an alloy of copper and tin, and often also contains lead or zinc. It is strong and durable but can also c…
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Audio: How did sculptors make wax models?
How exactly did sculptors make wax models? V&A curator Peta Motture explains.
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Sculpture techniques: stone carving
For centuries sculptors have used stone for figurative carvings and ornamental architectural work. Different types …
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Sculpture techniques: wood carving
Regional availability played a large part in determining which wood was chosen for a sculpture, though the properti…
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Sculpture techniques: ivory carving
Ivory is the dense, hard, creamy white substance that forms the tusks of mammals, though the term is also used for …
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Sculpture techniques: carving in semi-precious stone & shell
Specialist craftsmen used a wide variety of materials for carvings. These ranged from gemstones and hardstones like…
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Sculpture techniques: virtuoso carving
Throughout the ages artists and craftsmen have made virtuoso carvings as a display of their skill and ingenuity.…
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Sculpture techniques: modelling in clay
Clay is a very versatile raw material. It is relatively cheap and widely available. It can be modelled by the sculp…
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Sculpture techniques: surface decoration
The rough surface of European limestone and sandstone sculptures was usually concealed by paint, gilding, or inlaid…
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Development of the sculpture galleries, 2004
In 2004, the Gilbert Bayes Gallery in Room 111 was restored as an open arcade between the Cast Courts, the two spectacular galleries that house plaster casts of European masterpieces.
Rooms 26–27: Sculpture 1300–1600
Rooms 26 and 27 feature a selection of religious sculpture from Germany, the Netherlands, France, Italy, Spain and England, dating from around 1300 to 1600. The V&A’s collection is particularly rich in religious sculpture from this period, as can also be seen in the Medieval and Renaissance Galleries.
Development of the sculpture galleries, 2007
A generous lead donation by the Hintze Family Charitable Foundation funded the complete renovation of the Sculpture galleries, which opened in July 2007.
New galleries for sculpture 1300–1600, 2010
In 2010, rooms 16a, 25 - 27 were being transformed into beautiful new spaces for the display of stained glass and European sculpture dating from 1300 - 1600AD.
Subjects for sculpture: guardian beasts
Animals are often portrayed as guardians in sculpture. These are commonly found on buildings, especially at entrances, and on funerary monuments and tombs, where they sometimes act also as guides to the next world. The V&A has many examples of animal sculpture in both roles in its collections.
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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Figured in Marble: The Making and Viewing of 18th-Century Sculpture
An authoritative account of 18th-century British sculpture, lavishly illustrated with works of art from the V&A and J. Paul Getty Museums, private collections and churches.
Buy nowEvent - Friday Late - Un-built
Fri 29 June 2012 18:30
FRIDAY LATE: Explore the interplay between architecture and the visual arts. From the current pop-up phenomenon of temporary structures, to film, performance and sculpture.
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