Articles

From Life

Russell Westwood, Sir Henry Rushbury R.A. with students in the Life Room in the Royal Academy Schools

Our Collection

< 3 years ago

Naked truth: the story of female life models at the RA

What does a 230-year-old household bill tell us about life modelling in the 18th-century? Here, we explore the historical role of the female nude life model at the RA.
Chantal Joffe, Naked Dan

RA Exhibitions

< 6 years ago

Chantal Joffe RA: “If I can paint it, I can deal with it”

With a nude self-portrait currently on show in our From Life exhibition, Chantal Joffe discusses her models, inspiration and artistic process with the show’s curator, Adrian Locke.

Inside the Academy

< 6 years ago

The life-drawing class you can take from home

We believe in the vital importance of creativity – for everyone. Join the community of over 50,000 people who have come together online to take the world’s first ever live-streamed life drawing class. Take the free class below.
Thomas Rowlandson, A Life Class at the Royal Academy, Somerset House

RA Exhibitions

< 6 years ago

Strike a pose: 250 years of life drawing at the RA

As our ‘From Life’ exhibition explores the past, present and future of representing bodies in art, we look back at the Royal Academy’s 250-year tradition of drawing nude models.
Artist Jonathan Yeo in his Chelsea studio using Google Tilt Brush to create a self-portrait sculpture in virtual reality from a 3D scan of himself

RA Exhibitions

< 6 years ago

360 video: how Jonathan Yeo turned virtual reality into bronze

As part of our From Life exhibition project, painter Jonathan Yeo has been depicting his own body in virtual reality. In this 360 degree video, explore his studio as he creates a virtual self-portrait to be 3D-printed as a sculpture.
Installation view of From Life at the RA, 11 December – 11 March 2018.

RA Exhibitions

< 6 years ago

“It’s a trick on consciousness” – Antony Gormley on virtual reality

To celebrate our From Life exhibition, filmmakers followed artists and architects including Antony Gormley, Farshid Moussavi, Yinka Shonibare and Humphrey Ocean as they experimented with virtual reality in their practices. Watch five clips from the documentary here.

RA Exhibitions

> 6 years ago

Introducing 2018 at the Royal Academy of Arts

Next year’s exhibitions will take us from a legendary British collection to the far seas of the South Pacific, and from centuries past to a glimpse into the future of art. The RA’s Artistic Director introduces the programme for our 250th anniversary year.
Life-drawing during RA Friends Week

Inside the Academy

> 8 years ago

Five quick tips to improve your life-drawing

The RA Schools’ Head of Sculpture and Printmaking led a life-drawing masterclass as part of our first Friends week. Here he shares five key pieces of advice.