What is watercolour?
What is watercolour?
Our extensive collection of watercolours tell a fascinating story of the medium
Watercolour
The V&A has a collection of more than 7000 watercolours spanning Medieval art to the present day. It showcases the use of watercolour in European art from illuminated manuscripts, studies in design and botanical illustration to portrait miniatures and narrative scenes. British landscapes and topographical studies are a strength of the collection, with key works by JMW Turner and John Constable.
Highlights include works by Jacob Jordaens, Francis Towne and John Robert Cozens, the Pre-Raphaelites, Beatrix Potter, and modernists such as Paul Nash, Frances Hodgkins and Emil Nolde, as well as contemporary work, including those by Lubaina Himid and David Remfry.
Collection highlights
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A Fashionable Marriage, drawing, by Lubaina Himid, 1986, London -
Double-sided leaf from a calendar, by Simon Bening, 1510 – 60, Flanders, Belgium -
Citron, watercolour, by Vincenzo Leonardi, about 1640, Rome, Italy -
Holy Island, Northumberland, by Joseph Mallord William Turner, about 1829, England -
Dorigen of Bretagne longing for the safe return of her husband, by Edward Coley Burne-Jones, 1871, England -
Stonehenge, watercolour, by John Constable, 1835, Salisbury, England -
The Source of the Arveiron, with Mont Blanc in the Background, watercolour, by Francis Towne, 1781, France -
Gilded Amanita (Amanita franchetii), by Beatrix Potter, 1890s, watercolour over pencil on paper. -
The Eclipse of the Sunflower, watercolour, by Paul Nash, 1945, Britain -
Christ, St Paul, Charity and the Theological Virtues, drawing, by Jacob Jordaens, about 1660, Belgium -
Ornaments with Flowers, watercolour, by Frances Hodgkins, 1942, Britain -
Friesland Farm under red clouds, watercolour, painted by Emil Nolde, about 1930, Friesland, Germany -
The Resurrection: The angel rolling away the stone from the sepulchre, watercolour, by William Blake, about 1808, England -
Girl in a Hat Shop, watercolour, by David Remfry, 1982 -
Study of a tulip, watercolour sketch, by Mary Moser, about 1764 – 1800, Britain
Features
The botanical album of Jacques Le Moyne de Morgues
The botanical album of Jacques Le Moyne de Morgues
Explore the 16th century album of exquisite watercolours in high definition
A watercolour painting of a pomegranate by Lucy T Smith
A watercolour painting of a pomegranate by Lucy T Smith
Possibly the most soothing 40 minutes experience you'll have this week
Constable's watercolour sketches
Constable's watercolour sketches
Take a closer look at the techniques used by Constable in his later works
Renaissance watercolours: materials and techniques
Renaissance watercolours: materials and techniques
Discover the qualities that made watercolour the medium of choice for artists during the Renaissance
Handling and care of precious books: ASMR
Handling and care of precious books: ASMR
Experience the National Art Library – a calm and tranquil yet deeply sensory space
Header image:
Dorigen of Bretagne longing for the safe return of her husband, by Edward Coley Burne-Jones, 1871, England. Museum no. CAI.10. © Victoria and Albert Museum, London