Sculpture

With masterpieces by Michelangelo, Bernini and Rodin, our National collection includes sculpture from the 4th century to the present, in a vast range of materials, from bronze, marble, terracotta and wood, to alabaster, amber, wax, lapis and shell. 

The sculpture collection contains approximately 26,000 objects. Highlights of the collection include masterpieces from the Italian Renaissance and Baroque, ivory sculpture, Northern European polychrome wood sculpture, British Neoclassical marble sculpture, Rodin bronzes, commemorative medals, and the Cast Courts.

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Features

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Sculpture techniques

Find out about the processes used to make the sculptures in our collection

  1. Watch

    Revealing the lost art of the ancient scagliola marble technique: ASMR

    Watch the artisans at work
  2. Read

    Samson Slaying a Philistine by Giambologna

    Find out about this monumental sculpture which has been a model of technical virtuosity for over 400 years
  3. Read

    Auguste Rodin: production techniques

    How did Rodin arrive at a finished piece? Discover the different techniques involved in producing his iconic sculptures
  4. Read

    The Three Graces by Antonio Canova

    Discover more about a masterpiece of neoclassical European sculpture
  5. Read

    Neptune and Triton by Gian Lorenzo Bernini

    Explore the only large-scale sculpture in Britain by Baroque master-craftsman Gian Lorenzo Bernini
  6. Read

    Donatello – a master at work

    Discover how Donatello manipulated materials to create masterpieces of Renaissance sculpture
  7. Read

    The Rodin Gift to the V&A

    Read about the greatest gift to the Museum by an artist in their lifetime
  8. Read

    The story of Michelangelo's David

    Meet David, one of the most famous objects in the history of art
  9. Watch

    Conservation of the Wolsey Angels

    Find out how extensive conservation work has enlivened the appearance of the Wolsey Angels and ensured their future preservation
  10. Read

    About the Rachel Kneebone display

    Find out more about this unique arrangement of contemporary works by Rachel Kneebone alongside masterpieces of the V&A's collection
  11. Watch

    Conservation of the Spirit of Gaiety

    Find out how this beautiful gilded statue has been painstakingly restored to its former glory
  12. Watch

    How was it made? Plaster cast

    Discover the fascinating process of plaster casting

  13. Read

    Donatello's 'David'

    Pre-dating Michelangelo's David, discover Donatello's marble and bronze sculptures of the Biblical hero
  14. Watch

    Auguste Rodin: challenging beauty

    Find out how Auguste Rodin paved the way for modern sculpture
  15. Read

    Antonio Canova – an introduction

    Discover the master of Neoclassical sculpture
  16. Interact

    Explore Donatello's masterpiece: 'The Ascension'

    Shine a light on this masterful marble carving
  17. Read

    Thomas J Price at the V&A

    Discover Thomas J Price's sculptures, which, when placed in dialogue with works in the V&A Sculpture Galleries, prompt questions about representation and the ways in which art is displayed.

  18. Watch

    Monumentalism, representation and materiality – Thomas J Price at the V&A

    Price discusses how his work raises questions of representation, perception and power, prompting us to think about the nature of monuments: who is represented and why?
  19. Read

    Protecting Michelangelo's wax sculpture from climate change

    Discover the impact that climate change is having on Michelangelo Buonarroti's wax sculpture 'Prisoner'

Collection highlights

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  1. situla
    The Basilewsky Situla, 980 – 981, Milan, Italy
    V&A South Kensington
    On display
  2. mosaic
    The Annunciation, mosaic, 1300 – 25, Istanbul, Turkey
    V&A South Kensington
    On display
  3. pendant
    The Crucifixion with the Virgin and St John, pendant, about 900, Constantinople, Turkey
    V&A South Kensington
    On display
  4. relief
    Lamentation over the Dead Christ, relief, sculpted by Donatello, about 1455 – 60, Italy
    V&A South Kensington
    On display
  5. relief
    The Ascension with Christ giving the Keys to St Peter, relief, sculpted by Donatello, about 1428 – 30, Florence, Italy
    V&A South Kensington
    On display
  6. model
    A Slave, model, sculpted by Michelangelo Buonarroti, about 1516 – 19, Florence, Italy
    V&A South Kensington
    Not on display
  7. statuette
    Virgin and Child, statuette, by Veit Stoss, about 1495, Cracow, Poland
    V&A South Kensington
    On display
  8. bust
    The Virgin of Sorrows, bust, by José de Mora, about 1680 – 1700, Granada, Spain
    V&A South Kensington
    On display
  9. George Frederick Handel, sculpture, Louis Francois Roubiliac, 1738, Britain. Museum no. A.3-1965. © Victoria and Albert Museum, London
  10. bust
    The Strong Smell, bust, Franz Xaver Messerchmidt, about 1770 – 81, Bratislava, Slovakia
    V&A South Kensington
    On display
  11. relief
    The Death of Voltaire, relief, by Samuel Percy, late 18th century to early 19th century, England
    V&A South Kensington
    View by appointment
  12. statue
    The Age of Bronze, statue, by Auguste Rodin, about 1876, France
    V&A South Kensington
    On display
  13. medal
    Leda and the Hatpin, medal, Linda Crook, 1999, London, England
    V&A South Kensington
    On display
  14. figure group
    (Detail) Peasant woman nursing a baby, figure group, sculpted by Aimé-Jules Dalou, 1873, London, England
    V&A South Kensington
    On display
  15. group
    The Three Graces, marble group, sculpted by Antonio Canova, 1814 – 17, Rome, Italy
    On loan
  16. figure group
    Samson Slaying a Philistine, figure group, sculpted by Giovanni Bologna, 1560 – 62, Florence, Italy
    V&A South Kensington
    On display

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Header image:
Neptune and Triton, Giovanni Lorenzo Bernini, about 1622-23, Italy. Museum no. A.18:1-1950. © Victoria and Albert Museum, London