Beatrix Potter exhibition now open at the V&A

A new exhibition dedicated to Beatrix Potter has opened at the Victoria & Albert Museum (V&A) in London, showcasing the life and work of the children’s writer.

Titled Beatrix Potter’s London, the exhibition also documents her relationship with London and the role the city played in her life. The displays are free to visit, and will run until 28th April 2017.

The opening of the exhibition marks and celebrates the 150th anniversary of the birth of the author (1866-1943), who wrote and illustrated 28 children’s books.

Although Beatrix Potter is more often associated with the sweeping landscapes of the Lake District depicted in her illustrations, she spent most of her life at her family home at 2 Bolton Gardens in South Kensington. The new displays show some of her achievements from the time that she spent living in the city.

What will be in the exhibition?

Beatrix Potter’s London exhibits some of her original sketches and drawings – including the study of the first Peter Rabbit – and some of her earliest published works.

Artwork on show will reflect daily life at Bolton Gardens, including views of the house and gardens and the schoolroom where she was educated by a private governess, and where she kept her menagerie of pets.

The young Beatrix was largely a self-taught artist and a highlight of the display shows a study of a rabbit thought to be the ‘real’ Peter Rabbit – a family pet who she spent much time drawing at home.

The exhibition also focuses on the life of the woman behind the stories, and shines a spotlight on her birth in Kensington.

Some of Beatrix Potter’s writing was done in the V&A and in the Natural History Museum; London is also where some of her key works were published, including The Tale of Peter Rabbit.

Beatrix Potter’s London comes in addition to the collections of Beatrix Potter works that are a permanent feature at the V&A already.

For further information visit www.vam.ac.uk.

(Photo credit: V&A).