Royal Academy
The Royal Academy is an art institution based in London, England.
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2 Activities 3 Location 4 Membership 5 Academicians ("RAs") by year of election 6 External links |
History
It was formed to rival the Society of Artists after an unseemly leadership dispute between two leading architects, Sir William Chambers and James Paine). Paine won, but Chambers vowed revenge and used his strong connections with the King to create a new artistic body, the Royal Academy, in 1768, formally launched the following year.
Its 40 founder members, all admitted on 10 December 1768, included a father/daughter combination (George Michael Moser and Mary Moser) and two sets of brothers (George Dance the Younger and Nathaniel Dance-Holland, and Paul and Thomas Sandby).
Sir Joshua Reynolds was its first president, and Benjamin West its second.
Activities
A Royal Academy summer exhibition is hosted at Burlington House annually, which is an opportunity for unknown artists to have their work viewed by the public at this prestigious venue.
The Academy also runs a postgraduate art school and a research library.
The Royal Academy does not receive financial support from the state or crown.
Location
Until 1771, the Academy was based in Pall Mall. It then moved to Somerset House but when these premises were taken over by the government, the Academy moved first, in 1837, to the National Gallery in Trafalgar Square and then, in 1868, to its permanent home at Burlington House, designed by Charles Barry (junior), architect son of Sir Charles Barry.
Membership
Full membership of the academy is limited to 80 Academicians or "RAs", who must be professional painters, printmakers, sculptors or architects. Within the total, there must always be at least 14 sculptors, 12 architects and eight printmakers; the balance is made up of painters. New Academicians are elected by the existing RAs.
Academicians ("RAs") by year of election
(This list is not complete - please update as necessary)
External links