Artwork
Contribution to V&A's 150th anniversary album
Contribution to V&A's 150th anniversary album is a watercolor work on paper by the Contemporary Realist artist Jane Simpson. It dates from 2007 and is held in the collection of the Victoria and Albert Museum. In June 2007 the Victoria and Albert Museum marked 150 years on its South Kensington site.
About this work
Overview
In June 2007 the Victoria and Albert Museum marked 150 years on its South Kensington site. To commemorate the milestone, a limited‑edition album was produced, featuring a single page contributed by each of 150 selected artists, designers, architects and photographers.
Subject & Meaning
Jane Simpson chose to depict an object from the museum’s own holdings, presenting it in a restrained watercolour. Her contribution reflects a personal response to the museum’s collections, emphasizing quiet contemplation over elaborate design.
Technique & Style
Executed in watercolour, Simpson’s page employs delicate washes and fine detail to render the chosen artifact. The medium allows for subtle tonal variation, aligning with the brief’s openness to drawing, sketching or graphic approaches.
History & Provenance
Simpson’s page was printed in the anniversary album that was distributed to donors and visitors during the 150th‑anniversary celebrations. The album served as a commemorative record of the collaborative project.
Context
The project invited leading creative figures to articulate what inspires them about the V&A, offering a diverse visual and textual snapshot of contemporary engagement with the museum’s extensive collections.
Artist & collection
Artist
Jane Simpson spent years sketching the same corner of her London garden until the weeds started to feel like old friends.
