GOTHIC:
Art for England 1400-1547 TO 18 JANUARY 2004
The Victoria
and Albert Museum will open its major autumn exhibition, Gothic: Art for
England 1400-1547, on 9th October showing for the first time the glory
of late medieval art from the reign of Henry IV to the reign of Henry
VIII. The exhibition is the successor to the acclaimed Age of Chivalry
(1200-1400) at the Royal Academy in 1987/88.
The V&A Gothic
exhibition covers the period brought to life by Shakespeare's great history
plays such as Henry V and Richard III, a period that evokes Agincourt,
war with France, the Wars of the Roses and a time of English insularity.
The exhibition will show, by contrast, how against this backdrop, the
huge wealth and extensive patronage of monarchs, aristocrats, the Church
and merchants made the late medieval years one of the richest periods
for the arts in England. Fires, war, and the Reformation have destroyed
much of the art of the period making the surviving art and artefacts extremely
rare. The exhibition brings together a superb collection of surviving
treasures with more than 300 objects including tapestries, manuscripts,
sculptures, paintings, armour, jewellery, gold and silver chalices and
reliquaries, plate, altarpieces, tomb effigies and stained glass.
Highlights
include: the funerary helmet, shield and sword of Henry V; the crown of
Margaret of York (sister of Edward IV), which has been in Germany for
500 years; the gold Reliquary of the Order of St.-Esprit owned by the
wife of Henry IV and lent by the Louvre; a monumental stained-glass window
from St. Mary's, Fairford; an early edition of Chaucer's Canterbury Tales
printed by William Caxton in 1483; the gold and enamel Dunstable Swan
Jewel; the silver salt and beautifully detailed silver-gilt crosier of
the fabulously wealthy Bishop Fox, Bishop of Winchester, one of only three
surviving late medieval silver crosiers.
GOTHIC
LIFE * STUDY DAYS
SATURDAY 29 AND SUNDAY 30 NOVEMBER,
11.00-17.00
In the beautiful setting of the V&A tapestries gallery, explore the life
of upper class people in the fifteenth century including presentations
on luxury crafts, feasting, armour and daily life, as well as musical
entertainment. Free.
OPENING
NEW
PAINTINGS GALLERIES
OPENING 26 NOVEMBER 2003
The V&A will this autumn display 200 works from its extensive paintings
collection in a new suite of five galleries. These galleries were originally
built to house the Museum's paintings collection during the 1850 and 1860s.
On display will be Constable's revolutionary oil sketches donated to the
Museum by the artist's daughter, landscapes by Constable, Turner and Gainsborough,
and famous works by Blake, Landseer and Millais. One room will be devoted
entirely to the collection of Constantine Ionides, a leading Victorian
collector and friend of Rossetti who collected European Old Masters and
nineteenth century paintings. To mark the opening of the new galleries,
the National Museum, Liverpool is lending one of the greatest pre-Raphaelite
paintings, 'Isabella' (1848) by Millais. The painting, once part of the
Ionides collection, will be on display until the end of January 2004.
MISSONI
FASHION IN MOTION
RAPHAEL GALLERY
28 NOVEMBER 2003, 13.30, 16.00, 19.00 & 20.30
The V&A will be staging a series of exclusive catwalk shows of designs
by leading Italian fashion house Missoni this November. Missoni, which
celebrates 50 years in the industry this year, will bring the vibrant
colours of Italy to the V&A as creations from past and present are modelled
against the magnificent backdrop of the museum. A truly family business,
Missoni was established in 1953 by Rosita and Tai Missoni. The label is
now in the hands of their three children who have used stylish innovation
to keep Missoni at the forefront of fashion design. Missoni's knitwear
creations are instantly recognisable by their distinctive rainbow stripes
and zigzags. From swimwear and handbags to trousers and dresses, their
designs are a wonderful combination of colour and texture. The Missoni
Fashion in Motion is part of an Italian Evening, hosted by the V&A in
collaboration with The Italian Board of Trade and the Italian Cultural
Institute of London.
CONTINUING
ZOOMORPHIC
CONTEMPORARY SPACE
18 SEPTEMBER 2003 - 4 JANUARY 2004
Today's leading architects from Santiago Calatrava and Frank Gehry to
Will Alsop and Norman Foster are being inspired by animal forms to take
modern architecture in an exciting new direction. Not since the emergence
of Art Nouveau a century ago has there been such an eruption of new building
inspired by the natural world. It has been made possible by new building
materials, computer design software, brilliant structural engineers and
the suspension of the old rules of architectural good taste. Zoomorphic
pulls together the worldwide buildings and projects which are in the vanguard
of this new movement, and explores it by displaying architectural models
and photographs alongside skeletons and stuffed specimens. Projects featured
include Santiago Calatrava's Milwaukee Art Museum, which rises over its
city like a bird with wings outstretched; Nicholas Grimshaw and Partners'
Waterloo International Terminal, whose glazing panels are articulated
like the scales of creatures such as lizards or pangolins; and Foster
and Partners' Swiss Re London office tower, where not only the appearance
but the structure and even the ventilation system bear analogy with sea
sponges.
OSSIE
CLARK
15 July * 2 May 2004
The V&A celebrates the work of Ossie Clark, one of the most influential
British fashion designers of the '60s and '70s. This mini-retrospective,
featuring more than 60 garments, along with sketchbooks and photographs,
covers the period 1965-1974 when Clark's designs helped define the spirit
of fashionable London. From the maxi skirt to the 'nude' look and the
trouser suit, Clark's designs set new trends. In addition, his collaboration
with his wife, the textile and interior designer Celia Birtwell, resulted
in some of his best known and most popular creations.
Ossie Clark
was a key figure in the world of photographers, designers, rock stars
and other celebrities who took London by storm in the '60s and '70s. The
famous and the fashionable wore Ossie Clark's designs including Marianne
Faithfull, Jimi Hendrix and Patti Boyd. He created jumpsuits for Mick
Jagger, silk dresses for Bianca Jagger and dressed Eartha Kitt in snakeskin.
Fashion icons like Twiggy, Veruschka, Jean Shrimpton and Penelope Tree
modelled the clothes while David Bailey and Guy Bourdin took the photographs.
Celebrity outfits in the show include Twiggy's fur-lined snakeskin coat,
the dress Celia Birtwell posed in for David Hockney's famous double portrait
0Mr and Mrs Clark and Percy and Talhlita Getty's red crpe evening dress.
NEW PHOTOGRAPHY
GALLERY
ALFRED
STIEGLITZ: GIFTS FROM THE GEORGIA O'KEEFFE FOUNDATION
10 NOVEMBER * 10 MARCH 2004
The special display in November will present 23 photographs and photogravures
by Alfred Stieglitz from the Georgia O'Keeffe Foundation. The collection
is a significant gift of modern photographs taken from the 1890s through
to 1936. It includes portraits of Georgia O'Keeffe and examples of earlier
works.
The new Photography
Gallery highlights works from the V&A's world-renowned photography collection,
shows displays of images by major photographers and features new acquisitions.
EVENTS
AT THE V&A
FESTIVAL OF LIGHT
SATURDAY 29 & SUNDAY 30 NOVEMBER
A celebration of the significance of light for different cultures and
faiths through such festivals as Diwali, Eid, Candlemas, Hanukka and Chinese
New Year. Events include greeting card and lantern-making workshops; storytelling,
meditation, dance and music workshops; an intercultural performance of
devotional dance and music; gallery trails on diverse religions and gallery
talks on the V&A's sacred objects.
NEW DIMENSIONS:
CONTEMPORAY PRINTMAKING
THURSDAY 6 NOVEMBER 2003, 10.30-17.00.
A study day with artist Tracey Emin in conversation with Carl Freedman
and Rebecca Hossack. Fees: Students: £10, Full price: £36, disabled people
and ES40: £5 . Call the bookings office at + 44 (0)20 7942 2211 or e-mail
bookings.office@vam.ac.uk.
KIDS
AT THE V&A
Activity Back-Packs Every Saturday
10.30-17.00
Children can hoist a Back-Pack on their shoulders and embark upon an adventure
across the Museum. Back-Pack tours are full of exciting hands-on activities
related to the collections. There are eight Back-Packs to choose from:
Chinese Treasures, Metal Detector, The Explorer, The Antique Detective,
Magic Glasses, Fancy Furnishings, Murder Mystery and The Emperor's Party.
Activities can last 30-45 minutes. For children aged 5-12 years.
The Activity Cart
Every Sunday 10.30 *17.00
Explore the Museum's collections through drawing and making activities.
The Activity Cart is sited in a different gallery each weekend. Loaded
with a huge variety of activities ranging from making mosaics in the Sculpture
Gallery to designing a kimono in the Japanese Gallery. Activities are
suitable for children aged 3 to 12 years. All children must be accompanied
by an adult.
GENERAL INFORMATION FREE ADMISSION FOR ALL. The V&A is open daily 10am
- 5.45pm and until 10pm on Wednesdays. The nearest underground station
is South Kensington (Piccadilly, District and Circle lines). For general
information call 020 7942 2000. Website: http://www.vam.ac.uk
V&A BRANCHES MUSEUM OF CHILDHOOD AT BETHNAL GREEN TEDDY BEAR STORY *
100 YEARS OF THE TEDDY BEAR
29 March * 31 December
Teddy Bear Story * 100 years of the Teddy Bear celebrates our ongoing
affection for the teddy bear. Taking place at the Museum of Childhood
at Bethnal Green, part of the V&A, it is the most comprehensive exhibition
being staged to commemorate the teddy bear centenary.
Highlights include: á Celebrity bears * including Rupert, Paddington,
Winnie the Pooh, Sooty and Aloysius from Brideshead Revisited. á Some
of the oldest surviving bears feature alongside newer creations such as
Philippe Starck's contemporary teddy bear. Interactive and fun displays
demonstrate the hallmarks of individual manufacturers, and also highlight
the roles played by teddy bears in television, books, music, cartoons
and charities. Children are encouraged to draw and follow trails as they
learn about the history of the teddy bear.
EVENTS
DOLLS' HOUSE DAY
SATURDAY 22 NOVEMBER 2003
The Museum of Childhood at Bethnal Green in east London, home to one of
the finest collections of dolls' houses in the UK, is organising a Dolls'
House Day. The day will consist of two talks aimed at adults and older
children interested in dolls' houses. One will be given by Olivia Bristol,
looking at the social history of dolls' houses, the other by Pam Ruddock
on restoring dolls' houses. In the Museum's galleries, Halina Pasierbska,
the Museum's Curator, will present a display on dolls' house gardens.
There will also be a video about restoring dolls' houses and an art &
craft activity, aimed at families, making miniature potted plants. The
talks are free but numbers are strictly limited and advance booking is
essential. For bookings or further information, call Robert Moye on 020
8983 5208.
V&A'S
THEATRE MUSEUM IN COVENT GARDEN IT'S A GREAT NIGHT OUT! - THE MAKING OF
THE WEST END 1843 - 2010
A mini-exhibition charting the history of London's West End with models
of theatres from Victorian times to today including models of new plans
for Cameron Mackintosh theatres.
please
contact the V&A Press Office. Telephone: (020) 7942 2502 Fax: (020) 7942
2496. |