The Victoria and Albert Museum

At first glance, a piece of artwork holds beauty and grace but as you dig deeper, there is so much meaning and history that lies within. Today, we had the pleasure of attending the world's leading museum of art and design, The Victoria and Albert Museum in Knightsbridge, London. It was easy to stay occupied as there was so much to see and learn about from corner to corner of the museum. It holds over 2.3 million objects made within a 5,000 year span with a wide variety of styles, influences, and design. While we were there, we participated in an introductory tour where the tour guide led us around the museum and taught us about some of the fine piece of art located inside. The talent of these amazing artists and the intricate pieces they handcrafted was extremely impressive.

One particular piece that really stood out to me was the The Panel with Picnic Scene. It was crafted in Iran, probably Isfahan between the 1600-1700s with a strong Chinese influence. Many of the painted objects, such as the bird, small jar, and trees, come from pieces of Chinese art during this time which I found to be alluring. The piece is also painted with blue and white porcelain, a Chinese style of art and imitated from Chinese's original. This specific piece intrigued me because of all the symbolism intertwined within it. Initially, I only paid attention to the pretty, bright colors that illuminated under the light and the unique looking figures portrayed as humans but as the tour guide discussed the deeper meaning within and how each painted object serves a different purpose, I found the piece to be much more interesting. The panel shows a young woman, of high status in the center of attention, surrounded by five of her attendants attempting to woo her while she picnics on the grass. The symbolism adds further meaning to the piece as one man is holding a basket of different fruits, mainly pomegranates, which represents female fertility due to the fact that pomegranates have many seeds in them. The crane also symbolizes a further meaning of fidelity and nobility, as the men are continuously showing the woman loyalty and support in attempt to gain her attention. This piece immediately grabbed my attention but after gaining more knowledge about it, it became an even more profound interest in it as it is not only beautifully made but well thought out and elaborate.

Attending this museum sparked an interest in art for me and made me appreciate the finer parts of it. Art has so much meaning beyond its beauty and explains a lot of our world's history. I am glad I got to experience the elegance of the artwork at the Victoria and Albert Museum and learn more about the styles and meanings of the works.