Royal Academy (RA) was created by a group of 36 artists and architects, including the first president of the Royal Academy, Sir Joshua Reynolds, who were motivated to raise British art and architecture to a professional level. They established the UK’s first art school, which is now an important part of the campus, and a biennial show that continues to attract top artists from around the world.
The new Royal Academy opened its doors in 2018 to celebrate the Royal Academy’s 250th anniversary, with new spaces including the state-of-the-art Gabrielle Jungels-Winkler Galleries, providing a third suite of galleries for temporary exhibitions. With galleries dedicated to architecture, site-specific installations, free exhibitions and the work of RA students, the reconstruction created a wealth of new public space. An extensive program of public events is offered by a permanent new lecture hall and learning centre.
The collection mainly consists of British art and painters from the 18th century to the present day. Major works by Joshua Reynolds, Laura Knight, Angelica Kauffman, Anthony Caro and Yinka Shonibare are among the highlights. Grayson Perry, Norman Foster, Richard Rogers, David Hockney, Tracey Emin, Antony Gormley and Anish Kapoor are among the current Royal Academicians, as are John Constable, Thomas Gainsborough, JMW Turner, Lord Leighton and Stanley Spencer.
Address: Burlington House, Piccadilly, London W1J 0BD
Website: https://www.royalacademy.org.uk/
