The Royal Academy of Arts in London
The Royal Academy is an independent, privately funded organisation led by a group of artists and architects dedicated to promoting the creation and appreciation of visual arts through education, exhibition, and intelligent debate. Each member of the Academy is a practicing painter, sculptor, engraver, printmaker, draughtsman, or architect that has been elected by his or her peers to represent the greater cause of the arts in London.
The Academy’s annual Summer Exhibition has become one of the most anticipated exhibitions in the art world. Founded on the original principles of the Royal Academy—“to mount an annual exhibition open to all artists of distinguished merit”—the Summer Exhibition is meant to help finance the education of promising young artists enrolled in the Royal Academy Schools. The show has been held consecutively, without interruption, every year since 1769 and attracts more than 10,000 pieces that have been carefully selected by the Royal Academy board.
The Royal Academy’s permanent collection includes the works of past and present Academy members, as well as some of the best fine-art resources in Britain. The collection has benefitted from some truly incredible bequests including the Michelangelo Tondo that can be seen in the Sackler Wing of Galleries. Free guided tours of the John Madejski Fine Rooms allow visitors to view some of the highlights of the Academy’s collection.
Art lovers should not hesitate to book London hotels in the area, as the Royal Academy of Arts is not to be missed.