Upstairs and Downstairs, 1986

Leonard Rosoman RA (1913 - 2012)

RA Collection: Art

On free display in Grand Café

'Upstairs and Downstairs' shows two happenings at the Royal Academy, the Summer Exhibition Private View and the unseen world of the RA schools. It joins murals from earlier periods in the restaurant, including works by Fred Appleyard, Harold Speed, and Gilbert Spencer.

Rosoman began working on the mural in his studio but eventually had to move them on site, where he worked at night after the restaurant had closed for the evening. Changes had to be made to the colours to compensate for the lack of natural light. The artist used acrylic on canvas over wood panel.