April’s walk took us in a different direction, going indoors in the heart of Albertopolis in South Kensington (previously know as Brompton but renamed in order to attract visitors to our destination). We were here for a highlights tour of the Victoria and Albert Museum; the museum which opened in 1852 with a mission to educate designers, manufacturers and consumers in good taste. The exhibits visited formed an eclectic mix. We started with the Raphael Cartoons, one of the treasures of the Renaissance, loaned to the V&A by the Queen Victoria in 1865. From there to the British Galleries and The Great Bed of Ware, mentioned in Twelfth Night by Shakespeare and coveted by Charles Dickens before being acquired by the museum. Then the sculpture gallery to focus on Rodin’s gift to the V&A during WWI, including his groundbreaking Age of Bronze. We rounded off the tour with the impressive cast courts, followed by the jewellery. proving that the V&A is a real gem.
Organised by Tim Murphy
