Minutes of meetings of the Council, including the following selected entries: a report by the Secretary,
Sidney Hutchison, on a meeting with officers of the Arts Council, from which “there appeared to be good hope of a substantial annual subsidy . . . with no interference”, 5 December 1978; the report of the Secretary, Sidney Hutchison, on the British Delegation’s visit to Tokyo, Japan, as part of the preparation for the Japan Exhibition, 1981-1982, 13 March 1979; note of the report of the Secretary, Sidney Hutchison, on the possibilities of
Rodrigo Moynihan rejoining the membership as an Honorary Academician, 20 April 1979; discussion of the arrangements for the retirement of the Secretary, Sidney Hutchison, including a note that there was some support for the election of a member as Secretary, 29 May 1979; a note that there had been a deficit of £273,310 on the Gold of El Dorado Exhibition, of which 25% would have to born by the Royal Academy, 10 July 1979; a note of the presence of a two-inch tear in the sky area of the canvas of
Sir Joshua Reynolds’s painting entitled ‘Theory’ in the Gibson Gallery store, and agreement that no contractors should be allowed into the store without the strictest supervision, 10 July 1979; and report of the confirmation of the Government's decision not to grant an export licence for the
Michelangelo tondo, [‘The Madonna and Child with the Infant St John’], on the grounds that “a treasure of such national importance should not be put at risk”, 31 July 1979.