Who painted Contribution to V&A's 150th anniversary album?

Contribution to V&A's 150th anniversary album was painted by Jan Kaplicky in 2007.

Where can I see Contribution to V&A's 150th anniversary album?

Contribution to V&A's 150th anniversary album is held by Victoria and Albert Museum.

Artwork

Contribution to V&A's 150th anniversary album

Jan Kaplicky , 2007

Contribution to V&A's 150th anniversary album is a drawing by Jan Kaplicky. It dates from 2007 and is held in the collection of the Victoria and Albert Museum.

About this work

In 2007 the V&A asked 150 artists to mark its 150th birthday with one page for an album. Jan Kaplicky drew his page instead of writing. The brief let them use almost any style or medium.

Kaplicky chose drawing. His page joined photos, prints and words from others in the album. It sits with the rest of the book today.

Look next at Kaplicky, Jan.

Overview

In 2007 the Victoria and Albert Museum marked the 150th anniversary of its South Kensington premises by commissioning an album in which 150 prominent creators from fields such as art, design, architecture and photography each contributed a single page. The project invited participants to reflect on what they found most inspiring about the museum and its holdings.

Subject & Meaning

Architect Jan Kaplický elected to respond to the brief with a drawing rather than a textual statement, offering his visual interpretation of the V&A’s influence. His contribution sits alongside a variety of media, photographs, prints, graphic designs and written messages, provided by the other participants.

Technique & Style

The brief placed no restrictions on format, allowing contributors to employ drawing, design, sketch, graphic, computer‑generated image or simple text. Kaplický’s choice of drawing placed his page within the broader spectrum of artistic responses, emphasizing hand‑rendered line work amid the album’s mixed media composition.

History & Provenance

The album was produced as a commemorative object for the museum’s sesquicentennial celebration. Kaplický’s page, like the others, was bound into the volume at the time of its creation and remains part of the bound collection, preserved as a record of the 2007 anniversary project.