About the Victoria and Albert Museum: Art and Design on a Grand Scale Walk in London
The V&A is one of the world's greatest collections of art and design in the world, so we will begin our tour with a short history of the V&A, how it began with the 1851 Great Exhibition and a discussion of the the spectacular Victorian building that houses the collection.
A walk through art and design
We will then enter the building and go straight to the famous Raphael Cartoons (1515-16), created by Raphael as preparatory drawings for tapestries intended to hang in the Sistine Chapel, but today considered works of art in their own right. The works depict scenes from the lives of St Peter and St Paul and we will analyse each work in some detail with a discussion of the history of the cartoons, Renaissance ideals in art and the relationship between painting and tapestry weaving. We will continue discussing the history of art and sculpture in the Sculpture Galleries with works by the Baroque sculptor Bernini, the Neo-Classical artist Canova and the late 19th century sculptor R
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The V&A is one of the world's greatest collections of art and design in the world, so we will begin our tour with a short history of the V&A, how it began with the 1851 Great Exhibition and a discussion of the the spectacular Victorian building that houses the collection.
A walk through art and design
We will then enter the building and go straight to the famous Raphael Cartoons (1515-16), created by Raphael as preparatory drawings for tapestries intended to hang in the Sistine Chapel, but today considered works of art in their own right. The works depict scenes from the lives of St Peter and St Paul and we will analyse each work in some detail with a discussion of the history of the cartoons, Renaissance ideals in art and the relationship between painting and tapestry weaving. We will continue discussing the history of art and sculpture in the Sculpture Galleries with works by the Baroque sculptor Bernini, the Neo-Classical artist Canova and the late 19th century sculptor Rodin before moving onto the Cast Courts, which contain casts of artworks and objects from around Europe, including casts of Michelangelo's 16th century David, a copy of the 1st century AD Trajan's Column, and the spectacular 16th century tomb of St Sebaldus, where we will not only discuss the Victorian interest in collecting casts but also compare different approaches to representation. If of interest, we can also pop into the Photography Gallery and analyse a selection of historical and contemporary works from the V&A's outstanding collection.
We will then spend some time in the British Galleries, which chart the changes in British Art and Design from the Tudor monarchs in the 1500s to the end of Queen Victoria in 1901, in order to consider in more depth how different styles arose over the centuries and the social, cultural and historical contexts and influences that shaped these changes. We will focus on diverse objects such as the 16th century Great Bed of Ware, a writing box belonging to Henry VIII, the 18th century Rococo music room from Norfolk House and the Arts and Crafts style as represented by William Morris late 19th century.
We will then compare this emphasis on style and design in Western European production with a visit to the Islamic Gallery, where we will focus on the 16th century Ardabil carpet in relation to the function and design of the art object in the Islamic world, the relationship that developed between art production and science as well as exploring the effects of trade and cultural exchange on design.
Then, depending on time and your interest, we can explore the extensive fashion collection or visit the exquisite jewelry galleries, or alternatively discuss the form and function of glass over the centuries.
