• About
    • FAQ
    • Start Here
  • Podcast
  • Portfolio
  • Work With Me
  • Contact
    • Sponsorships

Lix Hewett

  • Life + Style
    • Fashion
      • Outfits
      • Inspiration
      • Closet Cosplay
    • Home & Living
  • Travel
    • United Kingdom
      • London
      • Oxford
    • Spain
      • Barcelona
  • Advice
    • Blogging
    • Design
    • Business
    • Photography
  • More
    • Pop Culture
    • Portfolio

London Travel

London / Victoria & Albert Museum

posted on November 23, 2015

London / Victoria & Albert Museum

Like I mentioned in Six Days in London, the Victoria & Albert Museum was the first one Annemari and I visited in September, largely because it was still open when we finished our afternoon tea at Patisserie Valerie across the road. It seemed a lot bigger to me in 2007 than it did in September, though, and that would be because it has “reduced gallery openings after 18.00” on Friday (when it’s open until 10 PM). That explains that! Wow, an explanation for a V&A thing. Color me fucking astonished.

See, the thing about the V&A is that I seriously cannot make sense of it at all. I went to the website and everything just now to try and figure out what in the world the swirl reminiscent of a sea creature that’s installed on the ceiling represents, or where it came from, and I can’t even find that. I found out they have a Diwali installation, though! If you’re into that.

Despite my complete lack of comprehension skills when it comes to this museum, I quite enjoy it. It has a lot of artifacts and types of art, from entire pieces of architecture (like legit house façades) and furniture to ironwork to sculpture, photography and fashion. My favorite thing about this visit was getting to take photos of everyone sketching Rodin sculptures; I’ve decided I’m going to make a point of this whenever I go to art museums in the future (swap out Rodin for… actually between casts and collections, you may not have to). Remind me to take business cards with me next time.

But anyway, without further ado: here are some of the things (and people!) that caught my eye.

London / Victoria & Albert Museum / Lix Hewett

London / Victoria & Albert Museum / Lix Hewett

I was deprived of the answer to this question because, as you can see, that area was closed. Or at least dark.

London / Victoria & Albert Museum / Lix Hewett

London / Victoria & Albert Museum / Lix Hewett

London / Victoria & Albert Museum / Lix Hewett

London / Victoria & Albert Museum / Lix Hewett

London / Victoria & Albert Museum / Lix Hewett

London / Victoria & Albert Museum / Lix Hewett

An actual façade.

London / Victoria & Albert Museum / Lix Hewett

London / Victoria & Albert Museum / Lix Hewett

That loofah in the distance; whatever could it be?

London / Victoria & Albert Museum / Lix Hewett

London / Victoria & Albert Museum / Lix Hewett

London / Victoria & Albert Museum / Lix Hewett

I kind of want to draw something based on this pattern.

London / Victoria & Albert Museum / Lix Hewett

DID I NOT TELL YOU

London / Victoria & Albert Museum / Lix Hewett

WHAT IN THE BALLS

London / Victoria & Albert Museum / Lix Hewett

London / Victoria & Albert Museum / Lix Hewett

London / Victoria & Albert Museum / Lix Hewett

London / Victoria & Albert Museum / Lix Hewett

This room had atrocious lighting.

London / Victoria & Albert Museum / Lix Hewett

And that’s actually the back of a shell. It wasn’t a face. I just saw the face, and I captured the face, and then I looked down and looked at myself and thought, “Dude, Lix, you’re not even drunk.”

London / Victoria & Albert Museum / Lix Hewett

London / Victoria & Albert Museum / Lix Hewett

London / Victoria & Albert Museum / Lix Hewett

Annemari tried really hard to get a good photo of a chandelier that was reflecting on a window. So did I. I failed.

London Victoria & Albert Museum / Lix Hewett

MY FAVORITE PART

London / Victoria & Albert Museum / Lix Hewett

London / Victoria & Albert Museum / Lix Hewett

MY SECOND FAVORITE PART and this one goes on:

London / Victoria & Albert Museum / Lix Hewett

London / Victoria & Albert Museum / Lix Hewett

A+, would wear.

London / Victoria & Albert Museum / Lix Hewett

[tapes mouth shut to keep from making inappropriate comments about stranger]

London / Victoria & Albert Museum / Lix Hewett

London / Victoria & Albert Museum / Lix Hewett

ohhh darlin’

Info! They’re open until 10 PM on Fridays! This is one of the few museums that acknowledges the habitual schedules of southern Europe tourists (and whoever else is used to things closing after lunch and opening up again for three hours at 6 PM). Don’t go after 6 PM on Fridays if you’ve been there before and want to see more of it, though. It opens (all of it) from 10 to 17:45 every day. Admission to the main collection is free. Exhibits usually have a fee.

You can go in through the main entrance on Cromwell Road (right next to the Natural History Museum), the one on Exhibition Road (I used that one in 2007; it’s usually much emptier and you’re not instantly faced with a weird-ass thing hanging from the ceiling), and in a lovely fit of ‘London, you’ve lost it,’ you can ALSO go in through an entrance inside the South Kensington tube station. TRUE STORY. I have seen it and I just confirmed it still exists.

I would not call the V&A a favorite museum — I’m partial to art, and within that I’m partial to the Tate Britain. But it’s an awesome place to get lost for an entire day and regret you didn’t arrive earlier.

Have you been to the V&A? What’s your favorite of their collections?

Share

  • Email
  • Twitter
  • Facebook
  • Pinterest
  • Pocket
  • Google

6 Comments

« Style / Stormy Weather
London / Restaurants / Lunch at La Brasserie, Chelsea »
  • Zoe @ Zoe Jade Blog

    I agree with you, the V&A is a sort of mishmash of everything, but a wonderful mishmash. I went back to it twice when I was there… and the thing on the ceiling is actually blown glass sculpture by Dale Chihuly.

    • Lix Hewett

      Ohh, thank you so much for sharing that. I genuinely couldn’t figure it out. (I guess I could have asked someone at reception, but lol @ me. Hindsight is 20/20.)

      As far as mishmash museums go the V&A is a good one. I have mixed feelings on the British Museum, for instance, and the only thing I really like about it is the library and books. But I genuinely enjoy the V&A.

  • Sara Strauss

    One of my favorite things to do when I travel is spend a few hours at a museum! This one looks incredible! I could spend hours upon hours here just admiring everything! Love your pictures!
    ~Sara
    Sincerely, Sara

    • Lix Hewett

      Thank you! I basically travel half FOR the museums so I totally know what you mean.

  • Fran Mcmonagle

    I’ve only visited the V&A once (having lived in London for 2 years that’s probably shameful), I agree it’s easy to get lost in.
    Lovely photos!
    Fran – http://www.frannymac.com xx

    • Lix Hewett

      Ha, I think I made it to ONE total museum in the entire year I lived in London… I was broke and depressed and, yeah. It’s sad because I got some good ops to go to exhibits for free and shit and I just couldn’t justify the transport expense. The two times I’ve been to the V&A were little vacations.

      Thanks!

Meet Lix

Welcome to my blog! I'm Lix: full-time graphic designer for bloggers and freelancers, and part-time photographer. I'm an unapologetic cat lady and perpetually angry feminist nightmare. I like attention and pretty things, and that's why I run a lifestyle blog. Learn more.
bloglovin' feedly
get in touch by email
twitter instagram
pinterest facebook

Sign up for bimonthly news, links, secret content and exclusive offers!

Recommended

Dreamhost
Genesis Framework
blogl

© 2021 Lix Hewett, all rights reserved.

loading Cancel
Post was not sent - check your email addresses!
Email check failed, please try again
Sorry, your blog cannot share posts by email.