Victorian art for the modern world – De Morgan goes digital

Ever since the De Morgan museum in Wandsworth closed in 2014, it’s been a bit difficult to see the collection, but soon it’ll be a lot easier.

Not in the clay, but online — as the De Morgan collection has been photographed in very high resolution and will be part of the Google Arts and Culture website from the end of the month.

The De Morgan Foundation partnered with Google Arts & Culture to have the Google Art Camera capture high resolution gigapixel images of the oil paintings in the collection. The images available are so detailed that even conservators haven’t seen these delectable oils in such detail before.

The De Morgan collection themselves will also be relaunching their website at the same time.

The works by one of the greatest Victorian potters, William De Morgan, and his artist wife, Evelyn is undeniably very much of a certain appeal, and like that famous meaty spread, you’ll either love it or loathe it.

While I personally wouldn’t want to go all Victorian and fill a room with his works, I could easily delight in a run along a kitchen worktop or as a block of colour on a wall.

There was an exhibition at the Guildhall Art Gallery last year, and apart from the odd exhibition elsewhere, seeing the collection has been difficult.

However, a 10-year exhibition of some of the collection is now at Wightwick Manor in Wolverhampton.