Collections
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Encompassing both fine art and commercial production, our print collections contain more than 500,000 objects which range in date from the 15th century to the present day. We hold the national collections of posters and wallpapers, and one of the world's finest collections of Japanese woodblock prints, as well as printed designs for the decorative arts, topographical and portrait prints, fashion plates, caricatures and satirical prints, greetings cards, and commercial graphics such as packaging.
Among the collections of fine art prints are works by renowned artists, from Durer, Rembrandt and Hokusai to Matisse, David Hockney, Bridget Riley and Damien Hirst. All the traditional printmaking processes are represented, as well as tools, blocks and printing plates. We continue to collect works which extend the definition of 'print', including those employing new digital media.
Collection highlights
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Oil & Water Do Not Mix, poster, screen print with oil, designed by Anthony Burrill, made for Happiness Brussels, 2010, UK -
Printed playing cards, woodcut with stencil, by Gilles Savouré, 1490 – 1500, Lyons, France -
The Last Supper, from the Large Passion series, print, woodcut on paper, by Albrecht Dürer, 1510, Nuremberg, Germany -
Jack Sheppard! poster, woodcut and letterpress on paper, printed by S.G. Fairbrother and Son, 1839, London, England -
Würzburg Missal (Missale Herbipolense) manuscript, printed by Georg Reyser, about 1484, Würzburg, Germany -
Cyber Dada Manifesto, photocopy, by Troy Innocent and Dale Nason, 1990, Melbourne, Australia -
(Detail) The Iolanthe wallpaper, woodblock print, designed by Charles Voysey, manufactured by Essex & Co., about 1897, England -
The Great Wave, woodblock print, by Katsushika Hokusai, about 1831, Japan -
Elektronischer Einstein, lithographic print, Herbert W Franke, 1972, Germany -
The Royall Oake of Brittayne, engraving, 1649, England -
Marilyn Monroe, screenprint, by Andy Warhol, printed by Aetna Silkscreen Products Inc./ Du-Art Displays, published by Factory Additions, 1967, New York, US -
Seaside Excursions: Southend, poster, lithograph, designed by Frederick Charles Herrick, printed by Baynard Press, 1925, England -
The Three Trees, etching, by Rembrandt van Rijn, 1643, the Netherlands -
Mister Tambourine Man, poster, screen print, designed by Martin Sharp, 1967, UK
Features
What is print?
What is print?
A print is an image created on one surface, and transferred to another - find out about the variety of printmaking processes
Lucian Freud and etching
Lucian Freud and etching
"I love the element of danger and mystery."
Aubrey Beardsley – decadence & desire
Aubrey Beardsley – decadence & desire
"I have one aim – the grotesque. If I am not grotesque, I am nothing"
Contemporary etchings
Contemporary etchings
Explore a selection of contemporary etchings from the V&A's extensive collection
An introduction to women printmakers
An introduction to women printmakers
From Madame de Pompadour to Mary Cassatt – discover women working in print from the 1700s – 1930s
A brief history of ghosts and spirit photography
A brief history of ghosts and spirit photography
Find out about the Victorian obsession with seances, spiritualism and capturing ghosts
Art Deco printmakers
Art Deco printmakers
Explore some of our evocative Art Deco prints and posters by master printmakers of the period
A brief history of vampires – in print, photography and posters
A brief history of vampires – in print, photography and posters
Discover, if you dare, how Count Dracula haunts the V&A's collections
The wonderful world of Whistler
The wonderful world of Whistler
Charming and tempestuous, James Abbott McNeill Whistler has been described as the first contemporary artist
A brief history of Valentine's cards
A brief history of Valentine's cards
Has the language of love changed over the years?
The art of the ocean liner travel poster
The art of the ocean liner travel poster
Enjoy this selection of iconic posters from our collection, charting 70 years of ocean travel
The Rolling Stones tongue and lips logo
The Rolling Stones tongue and lips logo
Discover the fascinating story about how a young RCA student was commissioned to produce one of the world's most iconic logos
Tony Phillips on the History of the Benin Bronzes I-XII
Tony Phillips on the History of the Benin Bronzes I-XII
Mapping the imagination
Mapping the imagination
Discover a diverse selection of maps from the V&A collections in this slideshow.
A brief history of Victorian Christmas cards
A brief history of Victorian Christmas cards
From robins and Father Christmas, to talking vegetables and clowns
Japanese woodblock prints (ukiyo-e)
Japanese woodblock prints (ukiyo-e)
Known as 'ukiyo-e', these hugely popular woodblock prints depict everyday life in Japan during the Edo period
Recreating early-Renaissance playing cards
Recreating early-Renaissance playing cards
Artist Anne Desmet recreates an early-Renaissance sheet of playing cards using traditional woodcutting and stencilling techniques
Extinction Rebellion woodblocks and prints
Extinction Rebellion woodblocks and prints
See how design has been used to call for climate action
Header image:
Background image: Marilyn Monroe, screenprint, Andy Warhol, printed by Aetna Silkscreen Products Inc./ Du-Art Displays, published by Factory Additions, 1973, US. Museum no. CIRC.121-1968. © Victoria and Albert Museum, London/The Andy Warhol Foundation for the Visual Arts, Inc./ARS, NY and DACS, London 2001