Illustration

Prints & Drawings Study Room: currently closed

Intended to inspire artists and showcase design processes, the V&A has collected illustration since its foundation. From book illustration to page design, botanical illustration to fashion plates, the collection includes a diverse array of material, including sketchbooks, drawings, proofs and printing blocks.

Highlights include major collections of work by Beatrix Potter and George Cruikshank; E.H. Shepard's 'Winnie-the-Pooh' sketches; William Morris book designs; wood-engraved printing blocks by artists such as Eric Ravilious and Paul Nash; botanical illustrations by Jacques le Moyne de Morgues and Georg Ehret; and many other works by artists as diverse as John Tenniel and Kay Nielsen. Our Archive of Art and Design holds archival materials relating to illustrators including Enid Marx, Arthur Rackham, Edward Ardizzone and George Him.

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'The bees are getting suspicious', pencil drawing by E. H. Shepard, from 'Winnie-the-Pooh', chapter 1, — 'The bees are getting suspicious', pencil drawing by E. H. Shepard, from 'Winnie-the-Pooh', chapter 1, 1926, Britain. © The Shepard Trust, reproduced with permission from Curtis Brown

drawing — The Lady Mouse curtseys, variant illustration for p. 24 of 'The Tailor of Gloucester', by Beatrix Potter, 1903, Britain.

fashion illustration — Fashion illustration, by David Downton, commissioned by Vogue, 2005, China

book illustration — Book illustration for 'A Frog he would a-wooing go', Randolph Caldecott, 1883, England

Illustration from Hans Christian Andersen's 'The Little Mermaid', Walter Crane, 1870 – 1880, England

book illustration — The Prince leading the lady to the tomb, book illustration, Edmund Dulac, 1914, Britain

book illustration — Book illustration from 'The Chronicles of King Arthur', Edward Bawden, 1982, Britain

book illustration — Book illustration for 'Puss in Boots, the Story of a Sneaky Cat', Tony Ross, 1981, Britain

book illustration — Book illustration for 'The Butterfly Collector', Fulvio Testa, 1978, Britain

watercolour — American Turk's-cap lily, watercolour botanical illustration, Georg Dionysus Ehret, 1740s, England

print — Alice at the Looking Glass, illustration to 'Through the Looking Glass and what Alice found there', engraved by Dalziel Brothers after Sir John Tenniel, Britain

Fashion illustration for Stephen Jones hat, by Barbara Hulanicki, 21st century, USA

drawing — Illustration for the cover of 'Typically Jennings', Quentin Blake, 1969, England

Fashion illustration for collar by Issey Miyake, Hiroshi Tanabe, 2009, US

print — Monstrosities of 1822, etching, George Cruikshank, printed by G. Humphrey, 1822, England

handcoloured illustration — Des Ombrelles, handcoloured illustration, designed by Georges Lepape, 1913, France

drawing — Design for the jacket of 'A Girl at Twenty', Phyllis E. Ginger, about 1940, UK

painting — John Lennon Remembered, painting for the cover of 'Rolling Stone' magazine, by Barbara Nessim, 1988, US

print — Bubbles, wood-engraving proof from 'Rhymes for the young folk', illustration by Kate Greenaway, engraving by Edmund Evans Ltd., 1887, England

print — Three Blind Mice, print, illustrated by Paula Rego, printed by Culford Press, published by Marlborough Fine Art, 1989, UK

Illustrating Wonderland with Kristjana S Williams

Watch how artist Kristjana S. Williams creates her own unique Wonderland for the V&A

Beatrix Potter: drawn from nature

From the age of eight Potter was recording the characteristics of animals, birds and insects

Aubrey Beardsley – decadence & desire

"I have one aim – the grotesque. If I am not grotesque, I am nothing"

Barbara Nessim: an artful life

Meet American artist, fashion designer and computer art pioneer, Barbara Nessim

John Tenniel – an introduction

Creator of the iconic 'Alice's Adventure's in Wonderland' illustrations, John Tenniel's career was fascinatingly varied

Opera engravings, caricatures, and prints

Engravings, caricatures and prints in our collections document the dramatic 400 year history of opera

Private Eye: illustrative journalism

Meet cartoonist Ken Pyne and see how an edition of the satirical magazine is produced

Gerald Scarfe: drawing inspiration

Join the cartoonist Gerald Scarfe as he discusses his varied work and career

William Morris: literature and book design

William Morris was an accomplished writer as well as a designer, combining his love of words with design in calligraphy and page decoration.

Fallen Fruit at the V&A

How Californian artists Fallen Fruit created a unique 'fruity' portrait of the V&A

Design and make a surreal critter

Create your own surreal critter with these drawing challenges

Background image: 'Soho Fire Escapes' from New York Sketchbook by Jason Brooks