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Gardens and Art
Online course
+44 (0)20 7942 2000
This course will explore the mutually-enriching connections between actual gardens and their representation in the fine and decorative arts. Glorious depictions of plants, flowers and verdant settings will be considered alongside a selection of iconic actual gardens. A feast for both eye and mind.
Learn from our world-class experts wherever you are, whenever suits you: watch lectures live or view the recording later in your own time. You can experience the full breadth and depth of the V&A's collections with 12 hours of study over 6 weeks. Learn at your own pace: lecture recordings and study materials, lecture notes, copies of the presentations, and additional study materials are available in our secure Microsoft Teams environment for 6 weeks after the course ends, so you'll never miss a thing. And finally, join the conversation: share your perspective with your fellow students, and support each other in your further enquiries outside of class time.
V&A Academy Course Leader
Christine Lalumia
Christine Lalumia lectures and writes on design, art and garden histories with a keen interest in cultural context. A consultant lecturer at Sotheby’s Institute of Art, she was deputy director of The Museum of the Home for 21 years and is lead-Convenor for the Seminar in Garden History and Designed Landscapes at the Institute of Historical Research
I love the fact you can participate from home. The presentation, speakers and subject matter are always fascinating and excellent. I have already booked onto my next V&A course online. Previous online course student
Course overview
Explore the creative interplay between gardens and the fine and decorative arts. This course will consider the garden as an artistic space in its own right whilst acknowledging the garden as an ‘idea’ which has appealed to diverse artists through time and across geographical boundaries. Glorious depictions by both well- and lesser-known fine and decorative artists will be discussed. A variety of gardens will be included, from large to small, ambitious to personal and urban to rural. Highlights will include the garden paintings of James Tissot, the grotto at the Medici villa Castello near Florence, flower studies by Toulouse-Lautrec and Beatrix Potter and the land art of the mid-20th century. We will frequently draw on the richness of the V&A collections, which hold a wealth of evidence – often in unexpected places - for visual images of gardens and flowers. An idiosyncratic look at the creative interplay between gardens and art, designed to delight, intrigue and illuminate.
V&A Academy Online. A learning environment you can trust.
Our courses are built using the latest Microsoft software. Tune in to expert lectures live or catch up on demand. Join discussions and continue your learning with downloadable handouts and presentations.
See FAQs to learn more about joining online.
See FAQs to learn more about joining online.
Enrol now
Online course: Gardens and Art
7 November 2024 - 12 December 2024
£130.00
Call to book +44 (0)20 7942 2000
Need help enrolling? Talk to the admissions team:
+44 (0)20 7942 2000
Open 10.00 - 13.00, Monday to Sunday (closed 24-26 December)
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Header image: Embroidered wall hanging, 'Stoke Edith Hanging', England, 1710-1720