Europe 1400-1800 (Room 46)

The period dating from the late Middle Ages until the end of the eighteenth century was a time of great social change. Political revolution, religious upheaval and the discovery of new continents radically influenced European life.

Through objects of the decorative and applied arts, Room 46 charts the expansion of international trade, the growth of modern cities and the major developments in the arts and sciences that established the broad outline of modern European civilisation. The direct influence of the Italian Renaissance on the material culture of the time can also be seen in objects on display.

Image captions (clockwise from top left):

The Medici Valencian vase AD 1465-92

Terracotta bust of Oliver Cromwell by Roubiliac AD 1759

The Marlborough ice pails AD 1700

Medal of Mary I, by Jacopo da Trezzo AD 1554-55