Art and collections
We care for one of the world's largest and most significant collections of art and heritage objects. Explore the highlights, our latest major exhibitions, curatorial research and more.
Spring scenes in our collections
Spring's promise of new beginnings has been an inspiration to artists and designers for centuries. You can see its influence across the arts, from Renaissance craftsmen to botanical artists and designers of the Arts and Crafts movement. See spring through some of its most evocative depictions in the collections and objects we care for.
Spring blossom
Lacquer cabinet at Osterley Park, London
Made in Japan in the late 17th century, this cabinet is elaborately decorated with flower and foliage motifs. The less elaborately decorated interiors of the doors show a pattern of cherry blossoms floating on water. This is a symbol of the evanescence of youth and beauty in Japanese culture, but this meaning may have been lost on its Western buyers.
1 of 3
Spring flora
Stained glass window at Cragside, Northumberland
This stained glass panel depicts a young woman surrounded by spring flowers. It’s one of a series of small panels of the four seasons, designed by William Morris for the inglenook fireplace at Cragside. Morris wanted to capture the spirit of medieval glass while keeping a focus on secular subjects.
1 of 2
Spring fauna
A mother hen at Wightwick Manor, West Midlands
This charming painted paper frieze of a hen and her chicks by Cecil Aldin appears on the wall of the nursery at Wightwick Manor. A paper frieze is a decorated or ornamental band that runs around the perimeter of a room.
1 of 2
Spring insects
Embroidered dress at Powis Castle, Wales
In this painting, Elizabeth Craven, Lady Powis, wears a richly embroidered dress that mixes motifs taken from the natural world, including butterflies flitting between roses. Elizabethan textiles often included designs based upon images found in illustrated natural history books.
1 of 2
You might also be interested in
Article
Spectacular skies: dawns and dusks in the collections we care for
Explore the artworks in our collections that capture the beauty of sunrise and sunset. See how artists have used seascapes and sunlight to bring to life peaceful scenes and industrial backdrops alike.
Article
Collection items inspired by romance
Many items in our collections have been inspired by historic romance and passionate real-life relationships. Take a look at this selection of works of art and tokens of love from the places we look after.
Article
Roses in art and collections we care for
Head curator Dr Sally-Anne Huxtable explains how to identify the many roses steeped in symbolism, history and meaning that you can see in National Trust collections.
Article
Highlights from 100 paintings in the collections we care for
100 Paintings from the Collections of the National Trust showcases works by some of the most renowned European artists of all time, cared for by the Trust and housed in its properties.