Flowering talent

Paintings from the National Gallery have sprung out of the frame and into life, thanks to Wimbledon College of Art.

Students from the college have designed costumes inspired by Vincent Van Gogh's Sunflowers, Sandro Botticelli's Venus and Mars, Diego Velazquez's Philip IV of Spain and J.M.W. Turner's The Fighting Temeraire, among others.

The designs have been shown at a series of live art events and costume parades held at the art gallery and Trafalgar Square this month.

Hilary Baxter, Wimbledon College of Art costume pathway leader, said: "This has been a wonderful opportunity to show the different ways in which our students are currently using paintings from this major collection to make new and exciting costume work.

"The learning experience has been enormously enriched by this special project, and we are looking forward to sharing the finished costumes with the gallery and the public."

The costume pictured represents Pierre-Auguste Renoir's Gladioli in a Vase.