Artists
9 days ago
Reflecting on Hogarth’s political prints from Brexit Britain
William Hogarth revelled in the vanity and corruption of London’s rakes and harlots. But his Comic History paintings also draw sobering parallels with Britain’s political climate today, writes Simon Wilson.
RA Recommends
20 days ago
10 art exhibitions to see during Frieze week
The beginning of October marks the start of Frieze week, and with it a slew of exciting new shows, installations and more popping up across London. Read on for our recommended list of what to see both in and beyond the fairs this month.
Our Collection
23 days ago
How to read it: Flaxman’s ‘The Iliad’ and ‘The Odyssey’
The 18th-century British artist John Flaxman was an established sculptor, but it was his drawn illustrations of ‘The Iliad’ and ‘The Odyssey’ that made him a sensation across Europe.
RA Exhibitions
1 month ago
Behind the scenes of our Antony Gormley exhibition
Six tonnes of steel mesh, eight kilometres of coiled tubing, a gallery flooded with sea water and a body that can be walked through: this autumn Antony Gormley RA transforms the Academy’s Main Galleries into a sequence of experiences that challenge the viewer. The show’s co-curator takes us behind the scenes.
RA Exhibitions
1 month ago
Picasso to Abramović: introducing our 2020 exhibitions
From the 18th century right up to the present and from fragile paper masterpieces to groundbreaking performance art, the RA’s Artistic Director Tim Marlow introduces our exhibition programme for the coming year.
RA Exhibitions
1 month ago
Lucian Freud in five self-portraits
From the focused, linear depictions in his early works, to the triumphant naked portrait painted at the top of his game, Lucian Freud’s self-portraits are a testament to the artist’s indefatigable journey. Friend and art critic Martin Gayford selects five works from our forthcoming exhibition ‘Lucian Freud: The Self-portraits’.
RA Recommends
2 months ago
10 art exhibitions to see in September
From Matisse’s masterful use of line, to an exhibition showing the overwhelming obsession with colour in the 20th century, here are 10 exhibitions to see this month.
RA Exhibitions
2 months ago
Antony Gormley: 10 works to know
From chewing his way through 600 loaves of bread to making the world’s largest angel, Antony Gormley has never been afraid to pull out all the stops in the name of art. As we prepare for his biggest UK exhibition in over a decade, here are 10 works you need to know from across his career.
Our Collection
2 months ago
How to read it: Gabriella Boyd’s “Sunhead”
In Gabriella Boyd’s “Sunhead”, familiar shapes are given a surreal twist. The painting floats on the edge of reality where nothing is certain. But what does it mean? Where did the head go? And why is this painting in the RA’s Collection anyway?
RA Exhibitions
2 months ago
Thomas Houseago: Summer Exhibition 2019
“There’s an experience that art can offer which is this strange combination of activating the eyes, the mind, the body and a kind of emotional spectrum.”
RA Recommends
3 months ago
10 art exhibitions to see in August
From a look at Sigmund Freud’s fascination with ancient Egypt to Grayson Perry RA’s tapestries in Edinburgh, here are 10 shows across the UK that we recommend this month.
RA Exhibitions
3 months ago
Video: meet the artists of the Young Artists’ Summer Show
Hear from some of the talented artists in our Young Artists’ Summer Show, which celebrates the creativity of young people aged 7-19.
RA Exhibitions
3 months ago
Video: Félix Vallotton in 60 seconds
Tim Marlow gives a quick introduction to Félix Vallotton, the Swiss-born painter and printmaker whose portrayals of Belle Epoque Paris reveal a truly distinctive artistic vision.
RA Recommends
4 months ago
10 art exhibitions to see in July
From Bridget Riley and the dazzling canvases of the Op-Art movement, to the culinary artefacts of the ancient world, here 10 shows across the UK that we recommend this month.
Artists
4 months ago
Norman Foster RA introduces the Museo del Prado extension
In this video, architect Norman Foster RA discusses the redevelopment of Madrid’s Museo del Prado and his practice’s unique take on the boundaries between the old and the new.
RA Exhibitions
4 months ago
Novelist Tessa Hadley on the intriguing world of Félix Vallotton
With their secret trysts and satirical twists, the paintings and prints of the Paris-based Swiss artist Félix Vallotton prompt more questions than answers. Novelist Tessa Hadley gives her personal response to the artist’s enigmatic world.
RA Exhibitions
4 months ago
Summer Exhibition 2019 prizes announced
Printmaker, painter and sculptor Joe Tilson RA has won the 2019 Charles Wollaston award for the “most distinguished work” in the Summer Exhibition.
Our Collection
4 months ago
How to read it: Frank Brangwyn’s ‘Sunflowers’
Frank Brangwyn’s ‘Sunflowers’ is an explosion of colour that captures the vibrancy of a much-loved plant. But did Brangwyn copy Van Gogh? And why sunflowers, anyway?
Inside the Academy
4 months ago
Behind the scenes in Britain’s oldest art school
The RA Schools has been nurturing, challenging and championing art students for 250 years. Before work begins on a big anniversary renewal, we took a look inside to find out what it’s like studying there in 2019.
Opinion
“Schools are failing our children. The solution lies in art education.”
As art-making is ebbed out of schools across the country, we overlook the skills it delivers – strengths that should be the envy of “proper” academic education, says Michael Craig-Martin.
4 months ago
RA Exhibitions
4 months ago
Exploring this year’s Summer Exhibition with coordinator Jock McFadyen RA
Feeling overwhelmed by all the art to see in this year’s Summer Exhibition? Here’s some guidance from poet and art critic Kelly Grovier, who met with the show’s coordinator to discuss its themes before selecting his own standout works to see.
RA Exhibitions
4 months ago
Seven tips for starting your own art collection
There are over 1,500 works in the 2019 Summer Exhibition – and most of them are for sale. So how do you choose? Here are our top tips for buying your first pieces of original art.
RA Exhibitions
4 months ago
Artist Ian McKeever RA on the raw power of Helene Schjerfbeck’s self-portraits
As we introduce the Finnish artist Helene Schjerfbeck to British audiences, painter Ian McKeever RA reflects on her searing self-portraits; works that changed the way he viewed both art and himself.
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