Victoria & Albert; Treasures from a Royal Marriage
In the 200th anniversary year of the births of Queen Victoria and Prince Albert, this exhibition explores the intimate connection between the royal couple and the V&A. The exhibition traces the decade between the Great Exhibition of 1851, through the establishment of the Sheepshanks Gallery in 1857 and the National Gallery of British Art, which influenced the beginnings of the museum now known as the V&A. Visitors to the exhibition will see over 90 objects and works of art from the V&A, including paintings by Queen Victoria's favourite artist and chief portraitist of the Royal Family, Landseer, the unique 12th century Gloucester Candlestick acquired in the year of Prince Albert's death, and the first ever Christmas Card. In the Usher Gallery, as part of the exhibition, visitors will see works from our own Victorian art collection alongside key portraits from the National Portrait Gallery, including familiar faces such as Sir Robert Peel and Henry John Temple, 3rd Viscount Palmerston. This illuminating exhibition showcases the crucial role that Queen Victoria and Prince Albert played in the development of the V&A and further explores their wider influence on the development of Victorian taste.