Research outputs

Sculpture Journal, vol. 34, Issue 2: Reception and Replication of Donatello 

Online

This second of two issues about Donatello addresses Donatello’s replication and reception in the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. Exploring Donatello’s legacy and inspiration, the authors examine how the sculptor was perceived, portrayed and collected in this period through a rich transatlantic network of museums, private collectors, art historians and agents, paying particular attention to the media in which Donatello’s work and character were disseminated.

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Sculpture Journal, vol. 34, Issue 1: Donatello

Online

Sculpted relief by Donatello

This special issue of Sculpture Journal is the first of two derived from a selection of papers presented at the international conference ‘Donatello: Workshops, Patronage, Revival’, held at the V&A in May 2023. Organized in conjunction with the V&A exhibition Donatello: Sculpting the Renaissance (February–June 2023), the conference was conceived of and delivered by Peta Motture (Lead Curator), Whitney Kerr-Lewis (Co-Curator) and Sabrina Villani (Exhibition Research Assistant) in partnership with the V&A Research Institute.

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Heritage | Special Issue: Lacquer in the Americas

Open access

Top of an ornate box

This special issue brings the Indigenous American lacquer community together, building bridges and overcoming the existing geographical and language obstacles. With dual-language (English and Spanish) articles focusing on barniz de Pasto and mopa mopa, Mexican lacquer (or maque) and cumatê, this collection includes contributions covering a number of disciplines. This volume is a ‘go-to’ research resource encompassing scientific and historical reviews, case studies, articles focusing on sociological and anthropological perspectives, and on cross-cultural contact and exchanges between Asia, Europe and the ‘New World’.

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The Royal Albert Hall

Book

Cover of a book showing a cut-through of the Royal Albert Hall

Simona Valeriani’s book tells the fascinating story of how The Royal Albert Hall, one of the most iconic buildings of the Victorian era, came into being. Bringing material and archival evidence to life, it gives voice to its makers: from artisans and engineers to royalty and policy makers. The Royal Albert Hall reveals itself as a gateway to a new understanding of the political, artistic and scientific aspirations of a generation whose legacy still shapes today’s social and cultural landscape.

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Postmedieval, vol. 15, Issue 4: Crafting Medieval Spain

Online

A selection of essays from the ‘Crafting Medieval Spain’ research project, spanning from articles on the V&A’s Torrijos Ceiling and its technical aspects to historic ceilings in context and in motion and the afterlife of wooden ceilings. The ‘Crafting Medieval Spain’ project is led by Mariam Rosser-Owen, V&A, and Anna McSweeney, Trinity College Dublin.

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Nazi-Era Provenance of Museum Collections

Book

A gallery of paintings

Jacques Schuhmacher’s research guide equips readers with the knowledge and strategies essential for confronting the shadow of the Nazi past in museum collections. The author provides the vital historical orientation required to understand the Nazis’ campaign of systematic dispossession and extermination, and highlights the environment in which museum-based Nazi-era provenance research takes place today.

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Connecting Threads

Online

A man seated at a loom

Connecting Threads is a collaborative digital history project dedicated to amplifying the contributions of Indian weavers and African Caribbean consumers to global histories of dress.

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Unearthed

Online

An archive of shelves with folders on, a woman is reading between them

‘Unearthed’ is a poetry film by Amina Jama. It responds to items in the V&A’s archive showcasing stereotypical depictions of people of colour throughout time.

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The India Museum Revisited

Book

Ornate room with pillars

Arthur MacGregor’s book provides a full examination of the India Museum’s founding manifesto and evolving ambitions. It surveys its multi-faceted collections – with respect to materials, their manufacture and original functions on the Indian sub-continent – as well as the collectors who gathered them and the manner in which they were mobilized to various ends within the museum.

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