Apocalypse & the Book of Revelation
The apocalypse comes from the Book of Revelation, the last book of the Bible, which describes the final battle betw…
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Master Bertram's Apocalypse Triptych: To clean or not to clean
The altarpiece, which was bought in 1859, had undergone major conservation and restoration treatment prior to its a…
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The 's-Hertogenbosch choir screen: the sculptures
The choir screen from the cathedral of St John, 's-Hertogenbosch, the Netherlands, is richly decorated with sculptu…
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Costume cleaning conundrums
In preparation for The Golden Age of Couture , an extremely rare costume by Christian Dior was brought into the Textile Conservation Studio for treatment
St. James the Greater
The saints of the Christian church can often be identified by a device, known as their attribute. Here St James holds a pilgrim's staff with a drinking bottle attached. He is usually depicted as a pilgrim, and often wears a hat with a cockleshell attached.
The Gloucester candlestick: origins & meaning
The ‘Gloucester candlestick’, dating from 1104–13, belonged to the Church of St Peter in Gloucester (now Gloucester Cathedral). As metalwork was commonly melted down and reused, the survival of this candlestick is both remarkable and significant, showcasing techniques and craftsmanship in the Romanesque style which might otherwise have been lost. Even more exceptional are the three Latin inscriptions upon the candlestick, which reveal its history, meaning and provenance.
The Book of Hours of Louis XII
The Hours of Louis XII was one of the greatest French illuminated manuscripts of the Renaissance. A prayer book, it was decorated by Jean Bourdichon for the French ruler Louis XII at a time when his court was a principal centre of European art and culture.
The Church and the Baroque
The patronage of the Roman Catholic Church was fundamental to the Baroque style. Promoted by generations of popes, cardinals, priests, missionaries, worshippers and lay-patrons, the style spread to the four corners of the globe.
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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