Victoria and Albert Museum description and photos - Great Britain: London (Topic)

Victoria and Albert Museum description and photos - UK: London. Detailed information about the attraction. Description, photographs and a map showing the nearest significant objects. The title in English is Victoria and Albert Museum.

Photo & Description

The Victoria and Albert Museum, located in London, in the South Kensington area, is the world's largest museum of fine and decorative arts. Its collection contains items from different eras and cultures - from early Christian relics and mysterious religious objects from Southeast Asia to furniture design samples of the turn of the century, in total more than 4.5 million exhibits.

The museum was officially opened Queen Victoria on June 22, 1857. Initially it was a museum of industry and applied arts, the museum management considered the main task of the museum to increase the level of education of the public and the practical use of the collections, thus opposing themselves to the "high art" of the National Gallery and the theoretical science of the British Museum. In 1893, the Museum of Science was formed, where scientific collections were transferred. The museum received its current name on May 17, 1899 - then Queen Victoria appeared in public for the last time at the ceremonial laying of the new museum building. On this day, a new name was announced - the Victoria and Albert Museum.

The two main activities of the museum today are education and research and preservation. The museum closely cooperates with secondary schools and art educational institutions; there are special programs for children in the museum. Much attention is paid to scientific work and restoration.

There are four sections in the museum: "Asia"; " Furniture, Fabrics & Fashion "; " Sculpture, Metal, Ceramics & Glass "; and also `` Word and Image. ''

The Asian Art Section has more than 160,000 exhibits and is one of the largest such collections in the world. Here you will find a magnificent collection of oriental carpets, including the Ardabil rug - the largest (11 x 5 meters) handmade oriental carpets that have survived, a collection of Chinese porcelain vases, a bronze Buddha head, a 10th century crystal jug and much more.

The collection of clothing is the largest in Britain, representing mainly formal suits, from the Middle Ages to the present day. It is perfectly complemented by a collection of jewelry.

The collection of furniture showcases examples of furniture art from around the world and includes not only complete decoration of rooms and individual pieces of furniture, but also clocks and musical instruments, including a Stradivarius violin 1699.

The painting collection consists of several thousand canvases, watercolors, sketches, etc., including paintings by Raphael, Constable, Turner, Gainsborough, Botticelli, Rembrandt and others. The museum also displays photographs, books, sculptures and a huge collection of samples of decorative and applied art from different eras and countries.

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Topic: Victoria and Albert Museum description and photos - Great Britain: London.