Galleries of medieval and renaissance glory

by Gwen HERAT at Victoria and Albert Museum, London

It takes days to wander through the V/A Museum because of its countless sprawling galleries that seem to end nowhere and I was able to rush through a day at the Medieval and Renaissance Galleries that house some of the world's best artifacts and sculpture. Here, I was delighted to see a traditional elephant, encrusted in gold with brilliant Sri Lankan precious stones exhibited in a special glass case and placed at a strategic point to draw attention of visitors. Presented by King Dharamapala, it spoke a great deal for Sri Lanka's traditional art, dating to centuries.

These two massive galleries are funded by the Heritage Lottery Fund and generous wealthy patrons. The colossal amount of money spent meticulously in every piece of art, down to the minute detail, makes this galleries a priceless possession of world's leading spectacular treasures.

Living with the past: Medieval gallery at V/A Museum. Forgotten gap between two galleries was transformed into a new gallery.

My feet ached and ached but I still could not pause even for a moment lest I missed something and when I stepped out into the caressing breeze, I realised the overpowering effect of being snuffed out had I stayed longer. My friends were seated outside enjoying a snack and then and then only did I realise I had not eaten the whole day. They were guarding the exit entrance for me to appear .... or perhaps in exhaustion but I was neither. I loved every minute inside. The V/A Museum, full of countless galleries and exhibits are home to one of the world's remarkable collections of treasures from the period ranging from delicately carved ivories and intricate metalwork to Leonardo da Vinci's notebooks and powerful sculptures.

The Medieval and Renaissance galleries tell the story of European art and culture from AD 300 - 1600, from the decline of the Roman Empire to end of the Renaissance period. The sculptural language created in these galleries are realistic and physical and highly charged with emotion unlike of the Romantic age found in seperate galleries. Some convey sexuality while others sensitively calm and regal in appearance. Every sculpture tells a different story and appears different. Some visualise how men began their journey. Some were placid while others weighed down with memories. Some appeared living with soul while others rose with imaginative gestures. There was this very extraordinary one with Christ on a donkey (palm Sunday) moulded in limewood and pine and gilded from Southern Germany done around 1460. One gallery was filled with magnificent sculpture while the other had precious artifacts. Then there was this weired looking elephant on a ceiling panel painted with tempera around 1400. The elephant feet are unlike those of any European mammal. The elephant's feet resemble horses' hoofs.

Translucent only by architects M U M A provide a calm backdrop to three panels at these galleries. Titled DEVOTION AND DISPLAY, were done in 1300-1500. These panels are prolific, colourful and absolutely clear. Indeed a masterpiece. I could never understand why Medieval and Renaissance arts lacked colour and depth as compared with other periods. The bronzes, rough-hewed marble and stone were spectacular but at different levels I had to stop and wonder.

The sculpture never lacked any found in Italy's treasure houses or displayed in Louvre. Full of sensuality, the sculptors of the Renaissance and Medieval had exulted them in a manner to reveal joy, pain of life, terror of death and passionate love. They were works of genius revealing the multiplicity of humanity. There were the likes of Rodin and Michaelangelo but no sculptor had attempted to recreate their likeness. Most of them had preferred male nudes but nothing like Michaelangelo's APOLLO. I found less religious mouldings and less female figures. The clever ones had introduced ripples among their shivering bodies, the eloquence of which made me gaze for a long time. Most sculptors had modelled independently stamping their unique individuality upon them.

These works are genuine tributes to a great queen and her prince. Victoria and Albert Museum will go on a long journey collecting more and more spectacular art pieces in the coming centuries.