{"meta":{"version":"2.1","_links":{"self":{"href":"https://api.vam.ac.uk/v2/object/O760178"},"collection_page":{"href":"https://collections.vam.ac.uk/item/O760178/"}},"images":{"_primary_thumbnail":"https://framemark.vam.ac.uk/collections/2015HJ6469/full/!100,100/0/default.jpg","_iiif_image":"https://framemark.vam.ac.uk/collections/2015HJ6469/","_alt_iiif_image":[],"imageResolution":"high","_images_meta":[{"assetRef":"2015HJ6469","copyright":"©Victoria and Albert Museum, London","sensitiveImage":false}]},"see_also":{"_iiif_pres":"https://iiif.vam.ac.uk/collections/O760178/manifest.json","_alt_iiif_pres":[]}},"record":{"systemNumber":"O760178","accessionNumber":"E.1032-1927","objectType":"Design","titles":[{"title":"Design for mosaic pavement in the V&A","type":""}],"summaryDescription":"Closely corresponding with the work as executed, this design by Francis Moody is for the mosaic floor in the corridor between the Architectural Courts (now the Cast Courts, Rooms 46a-b), an area of the Victoria and Albert Museum that was begun in 1870 and opened in 1873. Aside from variations in the geometric borders, the design essentially extends the mosaic pattern that Moody had devised for the landing of the West or Ceramic Staircase (now Staircase I), from the masks to the sea creatures to the squared composition. However, whilst the latter was made by the firm of Minton, Hollins, the mosaic in the corridor between the Architectural Courts was the work of female convicts in Woking prison. Approved by the Home Secretary and nicknamed ‘Opus Criminale’, this unusual method had been suggested in 1869 by Captain Du Cane, a prison official who that year became surveyor-general of prisons, chairman of the convict prison directors and inspector-general of military prisons. The women, following the supplied designs, were responsible for making up mosaic panels for floors in a number of parts of the Museum. These included the cloister beneath the Sheepshanks Gallery (now the Museum bookshop), the Science Schools (now the Henry Cole Wing), and part of Bethnal Green Museum (now Young V&A).","physicalDescription":"Pencil drawing with watercolour on paper, edged on the reverse with linen. This design for a mosaic floor for the Architectural Courts (now the Cast Courts, Rooms 46a-b) shows a row of three square panels, framed both individually and collectively by geometric borders. The central panel contains small circular motif set within a square, whilst the top and bottom panels contain a circle framed by curved diamond, set within a larger circle; the top panel is finished with red and grey watercolour, and features a head in the central roundel. To either side and at one end of the row, narrow panels are marked lightly in pencil. Some annotations; scale bar.","artistMakerPerson":[{"name":{"text":"Moody, Francis Wollaston","id":"A8666"},"association":{"text":"designer","id":"x36960"},"note":""}],"artistMakerOrganisations":[],"artistMakerPeople":[],"materials":[{"text":"watercolour","id":"x33202"},{"text":"pencil","id":"x30347"},{"text":"paper","id":"x30308"}],"techniques":[{"text":"drawing","id":"x32498"},{"text":"watercolour painting","id":"THES250889"}],"materialsAndTechniques":"Pencil with watercolour on paper, edged on the reverse with linen","categories":[{"text":"History of the V&A","id":"THES252692"},{"text":"Mosaic","id":"THES253095"},{"text":"Designs","id":"THES48968"},{"text":"Floor coverings","id":"THES48953"}],"styles":[],"collectionCode":{"text":"PDP","id":"THES48595"},"images":["2015HJ6469"],"imageResolution":"high","galleryLocations":[{"current":{"text":"LVLD","id":"THES49658"},"free":"","case":"DR","shelf":"129","box":""}],"partTypes":[[{"text":"drawing","id":""}],[{"text":"design","id":"AAT102051"}]],"contentWarnings":[{"apprise":"","note":""}],"placesOfOrigin":[{"place":{"text":"England","id":"x28826"},"association":{"text":"made","id":"x28654"},"note":""}],"productionDates":[{"date":{"text":"ca.1868-1873","earliest":"1863-01-01","latest":"1873-12-31"},"association":{"text":"made","id":"x28654"},"note":""}],"associatedObjects":[],"creditLine":"","dimensions":[{"dimension":"Height","value":"101.5","unit":"cm","qualifier":"","date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"part":"height of paper","note":""},{"dimension":"Width","value":"66","unit":"cm","qualifier":"","date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"part":"width of paper","note":""}],"dimensionsNote":"","marksAndInscriptions":[],"objectHistory":"","historicalContext":"","briefDescription":"Design for Victoria and Albert Museum by Francis Moody, mosaic pavement for Architectural Courts (now Cast Courts),  late 1860s-early 1870s","bibliographicReferences":[{"reference":{"text":"","id":""},"details":"","free":"<u>Victoria and Albert Museum, Department of Engraving, Illustration and Design and Department of Paintings, Accessions 1927</u>, London: Board of Education, 1928."},{"reference":{"text":"Physick, John. <u>The Victoria and Albert Museum: The History of Its Building</u>. London: The Victoria & Albert Museum, 1982.","id":"AUTH322581"},"details":"","free":""},{"reference":{"text":"","id":""},"details":"","free":"Heike Zech, ‘A Useful Occupation: The “Opus Criminale” Work of the Women Prisoners in the Mid- Nineteenth Century’, Andamento, 9 (2015), 34–43"}],"production":"","productionType":{"text":"","id":""},"contentDescription":"","contentPlaces":[{"text":"Victoria and Albert Museum","id":"x32782"}],"associatedPlaces":[],"contentPerson":[],"associatedPerson":[],"contentOrganisations":[],"associatedOrganisations":[],"contentPeople":[],"associatedPeople":[],"contentEvents":[],"associatedEvents":[],"contentOthers":[],"contentConcepts":[],"contentLiteraryRefs":[],"galleryLabels":[],"partNumbers":["E.1032-1927"],"accessionNumberNum":"1032","accessionNumberPrefix":"E","accessionYear":1927,"otherNumbers":[],"copyNumber":"","aspects":["WHOLE"],"assets":[],"recordModificationDate":"2025-04-07","recordCreationDate":"2009-06-30","availableToBook":false}}