V&A Illustration Awards
The V&A Illustration Awards were established in 1972 and have since become the UK's most prestigious annual illustration competition.
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Illustration
Intended to inspire artists and showcase design processes, the V&A has collected illustration since its foundation. From book illustration to page design, botanical illustration to fashion plates, the collection includes a diverse array of material, including sketchbooks, drawings, proofs and printing blocks.
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Highlights include major collections of work by Beatrix Potter and George Cruikshank; E.H. Shepard's 'Winnie-the-Pooh' sketches; William Morris book designs; wood-engraved printing blocks by artists such as Eric Ravilious and Paul Nash; botanical illustrations by Jacques le Moyne de Morgues and Georg Ehret; and many other works by artists as diverse as John Tenniel and Kay Nielsen. Our Archive of Art and Design holds archival materials relating to illustrators including Enid Marx, Arthur Rackham, Edward Ardizzone and George Him.
Collection highlights
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'The bees are getting suspicious', pencil drawing by E. H. Shepard, from 'Winnie-the-Pooh', chapter 1, 1926, Britain. © The Shepard Trust, reproduced with permission from Curtis Brown -
The Lady Mouse curtseys, variant illustration for p. 24 of 'The Tailor of Gloucester', by Beatrix Potter, 1903, Britain. -
Fashion illustration, by David Downton, commissioned by Vogue, 2005, China -
Book illustration for 'A Frog he would a-wooing go', Randolph Caldecott, 1883, England -
Illustration from Hans Christian Andersen's 'The Little Mermaid', Walter Crane, 1870 – 1880, England -
The Prince leading the lady to the tomb, book illustration, Edmund Dulac, 1914, Britain -
Book illustration from 'The Chronicles of King Arthur', Edward Bawden, 1982, Britain -
Book illustration for 'Puss in Boots, the Story of a Sneaky Cat', Tony Ross, 1981, Britain -
Book illustration for 'The Butterfly Collector', Fulvio Testa, 1978, Britain -
American Turk's-cap lily, watercolour botanical illustration, Georg Dionysus Ehret, 1740s, England -
Alice at the Looking Glass, illustration to 'Through the Looking Glass and what Alice found there', engraved by Dalziel Brothers after Sir John Tenniel, Britain -
Fashion illustration for Stephen Jones hat, by Barbara Hulanicki, 21st century, USA -
Illustration for the cover of 'Typically Jennings', Quentin Blake, 1969, England -
Fashion illustration for collar by Issey Miyake, Hiroshi Tanabe, 2009, US -
Monstrosities of 1822, etching, George Cruikshank, printed by G. Humphrey, 1822, England -
Des Ombrelles, handcoloured illustration, designed by Georges Lepape, 1913, France -
Design for the jacket of 'A Girl at Twenty', Phyllis E. Ginger, about 1940, UK -
John Lennon Remembered, painting for the cover of 'Rolling Stone' magazine, by Barbara Nessim, 1988, US -
Bubbles, wood-engraving proof from 'Rhymes for the young folk', illustration by Kate Greenaway, engraving by Edmund Evans Ltd., 1887, England -
Three Blind Mice, print, illustrated by Paula Rego, printed by Culford Press, published by Marlborough Fine Art, 1989, UK
Features
Illustrating Wonderland with Kristjana S Williams
Watch how artist Kristjana S. Williams creates her own unique Wonderland for the V&A
Aubrey Beardsley – decadence & desire
"I have one aim – the grotesque. If I am not grotesque, I am nothing"
A brief history of vampires – in print, photography and posters
Discover, if you dare, how Count Dracula haunts the V&A's collections
Alice: through the pages
Discover beautifully illustrated editions of 'Alice's Adventures in Wonderland' in our collection
Turning the pages of an illuminated manuscript
Watch as we open up a medieval choirbook
Barbara Nessim: an artful life
Meet American artist, fashion designer and computer art pioneer, Barbara Nessim
Reading feminist magazines: ASMR
Listen in as we turn the pages of iconic feminist magazines
Chris Riddell: Drawing 'Alice's Adventures in Wonderland'
How to draw Alice, The White Rabbit, The Queen of Hearts and a unique, androgynous Mad Hatter
John Tenniel – an introduction
Creator of the iconic 'Alice's Adventure's in Wonderland' illustrations, John Tenniel's career was fascinatingly varied
Opera engravings, caricatures, and prints
Engravings, caricatures and prints in our collections document the dramatic 400 year history of opera
Private Eye: illustrative journalism
Meet cartoonist Ken Pyne and see how an edition of the satirical magazine is produced
Gerald Scarfe: drawing inspiration
Join the cartoonist Gerald Scarfe as he discusses his varied work and career
William Morris: literature and book design
William Morris was an accomplished writer as well as a designer, combining his love of words with design in calligraphy and page decoration.
Handling and care of precious books: ASMR
Experience the National Art Library – a calm and tranquil yet deeply sensory space
Fallen Fruit at the V&A
How Californian artists Fallen Fruit created a unique 'fruity' portrait of the V&A
Design and make a surreal critter
Create your own surreal critter with these drawing challenges
Header image: 'Soho Fire Escapes' from New York Sketchbook by Jason Brooks