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Leonardo da Vinci's notebooks
The V&A holds five notebooks owned by Leonardo da Vinci – a unique insight into one of the greatest minds of the Italian Renaissance
Renaissance
The Renaissance collections bring together masterpieces of northern and southern European art from the late 1400s to the early 1600s. Monumental sculptures, rich textiles and colourful ceramics show artists’ continued fascination with the art of the Roman world and the importance of the Christian church as patron.
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Highlights include the greatest collection of Italian Renaissance sculpture outside Italy, with pieces by Donatello, Andrea Briosco (‘il Riccio’) and Giambologna, as well as notebooks owned by Leonardo da Vinci. Richly-coloured stained glass from Northern Europe, rare carpets from Spain and a striking display of armour suggest the splendour and wealth of the period.
Collection highlights
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Notebook (Codex Forster II) by Leonardo da Vinci, 1495 – 97, Milan, Italy. Museum no. MSL/1876/Forster/141/II, f. 91r. -
Pair of gauntlets, made by Lucio Piccinino, about 1585, Milan, Italy -
Portrait of a Lady known as Smeralda Bandinell, painting, painted by Sandro Botticelli, 1470 – 80, Florence, Italy -
Hunting crossbow, about 1590, Germany -
(Detail) The Dacre Dolphin, figure, 1507 – 25, Cumbria, England -
Parade shield, made by Jorg Sigman, 1552, Augsburg, Germany -
Pair of gloves, made by Sheldon Tapestry Workshops, 1590 – 1610, Warwickshire, England -
Lantern, 1570 – 1600, Venice, Italy -
Pendant, late 16th century, Europe -
Mechanical globe clock, made by Georg Roll and Johannes Reinhold, 1584, Augsburg, Germany -
October; The Labours of the Months, roundel, made by Luca della Robbia, 1450 – 56, Florence, Italy -
Samson Slaying a Philistine, figure group, sculpted by Giovanni Bologna, 1560 – 62, Florence, Italy
Features
Renaissance music
Music underwent an extraordinary transformation from the mid-15th to the early 17th century
Donatello – a master at work
Discover how Donatello manipulated materials to create masterpieces of Renaissance sculpture
Piccolpasso's treatise on maiolica
The V&A not only holds the greatest collection of maiolica in the world, but also this unique treatise describing its manufacture.
Sir Paul Pindar's House
An outstanding survival of a London timber-framed house built before the Great Fire of 1666
The Temperance Basin and the art of the copy
Discover the origin of the Wimbledon Ladies Singles Championships trophy
The Almain Armourers’ Album
One of the Museum's great Elizabethan treasures, this book of armour designs charts some of the most spectacular armour ever made
Conservation of the Wolsey Angels
Find out how extensive conservation work has enlivened the appearance of the Wolsey Angels and ensured their future preservation
The Great Bed of Ware
Discover the bawdy history of one of the V&A's best-known objects
Invisible women: uncovering gendered histories
Discover hidden female histories in our collection
How was it made? Portrait miniatures
See how these tiny intricate paintings were made
Perugino, and his rediscovery by the Pre-Raphaelites
Find out more about Perugino, one of the most successful artists of the Italian Renaissance
Unlocking a 17th-century strongbox: ASMR
Peek into the past as we look inside a historic strongbox
Donatello's 'David'
Pre-dating Michelangelo's David, discover Donatello's marble and bronze sculptures of the Biblical hero
Donatello's Florence
Discover 15th-century Florence, Italy, home to Renaissance master Donatello, with our interactive map
