Royal Academy of Arts

Royal Academy of Arts (RA), London. The national art academy of England, founded in 1768 with George III as its ‘patron, protector and supporter’. Its main —interlinked—aims were to raise the status of British artists, to provide a venue for regular exhibitions (which have indeed been held every year since 1769), and to establish a sound system of training for students. The Society of Artists was a forerunner in these aims, but it was soon eclipsed by the RA. Reynolds was the first president and other foundation members included the architect Sir William Chambers (who was treasurer), Gainsborough, West, Richard Wilson, and the sculptor Joseph Wilton. Engravers were initially admitted only as Associates of the Royal Academy (ARAs), but from 1853 they were eligible for full membership (the category of ARA was abolished in 1992). The RA was initially based in Pall Mall, but in 1771 its art school transferred to Old Somerset House in the Strand, and in 1780 the whole institution was given rooms in the new Somerset House, a huge government office block designed by Chambers. In 1837 the RA moved to Trafalgar Square, where it shared premises with the National Gallery in a building newly erected for this dual purpose. However, it eventually proved too small to accommodate both institutions, and in 1869 the RA moved to its present home in Burlington House, Piccadilly. Throughout this first century of its existence, it had had no real rival as an art school and in general enjoyed great prestige. However, in the late 19th century it was increasingly seen as a bastion of conservatism; the Slade School (founded 1871) and the Royal College of Art (given its present name in 1896) became more important as teaching institutions, and organizations such as the New English Art Club (1886), and later the London Group (1913), were preferred as exhibiting venues by progressive artists. Adventurous work was rarely shown at the RA's exhibitions (where traditionalism ruled to such an extent that top hats and tailcoats were required dress on Private View Days until 1940), and in the 1930s there were several notable instances of leading artists (Sickert, Stanley Spencer, Augustus John) resigning their membership because of outmoded views and taste. After the presidency (1944–9) of Munnings, who was notorious for his opposition to modern art, the RA's policy became more liberal, and the gap between official and progressive art narrowed. As an art school it has also won back much of its former prestige. But something of the reputation for stuffiness continued up to the 1970s, and the RA's aim at its inception to provide exhibitions of the best contemporary work from year to year has been challenged by commercial galleries and by bodies such as the Arts Council. The annual summer exhibition still remains a popular social event, however, and the RA regularly organizes major loan exhibitions (the first was in 1870).