Visual Art Comes to Life at London’s illustrious Royal Academy of Arts

Founded by King George the Third in 1768 the Royal Academy of Arts is a one of a kind institution that has become a veritable icon in London’s booming visual arts scene. Attracting over 1,267,784 visitors annually this privately maintained establishment is a unique institution that is led by renowned architects and artists whose central goal is the promotion of the "arts of design "through exhibitions, education and debates. With an illustrious history that dates back centuries this eminent organization has succeeded in becoming a popular venue for international exhibitions and for art lovers worldwide in search of exquisite examples of artistic expression.

Having hosted a Summer Exhibition annually since 1870 the Royal Academy is also known to house one of the finest and oldest fine-art libraries in Britain. A must-see point of interst within the Academy of course includes its prolific visual arts collection which began in its year of inception with works donated by the artists themselves. Evolving throughout the ages the permanent collection on display at the venue now includes an impressive 850 paintings, 2000 historic photographs, 350 sculptures, 15,000 drawings and prints and 500 plaster casts.

Top attractions include paintings by Turner, Sargent, Spencer, Hockney, Fuseli, Raeburn, Constable and Millais while architectural sketches/drawings of Waterhouse, St. John Wilson, Soane, Rogers, Lutyens, Scott and Barry are also part of the repertoire. The Academy’s sculptural collection includes works by Paolozzi, Flaxman, Thorneycroft, Flanagan, Gibson and Frink.

Other architectural drawings on show at the venue include collections by Richard Norman Shaw, John Yenn and Thomas Graham Jackson in addition to sketches of the premier neo-Palladian town house in the UK; Burlington House. Contemporary prints by Peter Freeth, Tom Phillips, Norman Ackroyd, Eduardo Paolozzi, Jennifer Dickson and Chris Orr are also must-see exhibits at the Academy which also houses an extensive collection of portraits of and created by members of the Academy. This catalog encompasses self portraits by Gainsborough and Reynolds as well as representations of Alma Tadema, Bellany and Sickert to name a few. The David Wilkie Wynfield Victorian photograph collection is also worth exploring for its historic and aesthetic value.

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