Artists
7 days ago
Family how-to: shadow puppets
Follow these instructions to design your own puppets and put on a play in a cardboard theatre.
Artists
8 days ago
19 pieces of creative advice from artists and architects
There’s no right way to be creative – but leading artists and architects have plenty of tips to get you started. We revisited some of our most popular interviews to share creative wisdom from Antony Gormley, our President Rebecca Salter, Lubaina Himid and many more.
Opinion
13 days ago
Lockdown and luxury: the court of James I
Although his accession to the English throne was marred by plague, the Scottish Stuart brought with him vibrant art and culture, says Clare Jackson.
Inside the Academy
15 days ago
It takes two: collaboration in the RA Schools
No artist is an island, as Charlotte Jansen found when she met students and their mentors at the RA’s art school.
Opinion
“Lockdown reminded us that we’re all makers – and that could change everything.”
As museums and galleries reopen, Antony Gormley reflects on a revelatory three months in lockdown – and a cultural shift that could change the arts for the better.
15 days ago
Our Collection
20 days ago
How to read it: Annie Swynnerton’s The Letter
In 1922, the Royal Academy elected its first female member in over 150 years, Annie Swynnerton – here’s how to read her enigmatic painting of a young woman.
RA Exhibitions
20 days ago
Cézanne and his love affair with the rocks of Provence
Curator Ann Dumas digs into how Paul Cézanne’s Provençal landscapes broke new ground with their blend of art and geology.
Artists
28 days ago
Family how-to: plastic bag weaving
Follow these simple instructions to make a mini loom and have a go at weaving with recycled plastic bags.
Opinion
1 month ago
In the footsteps of Hampstead’s modernists
Hampstead in the 1930s was populated with modernist artists and architects. As Caroline Maclean gives a tour of the area, look out for the reference numbers on our illustrated map below.
RA Exhibitions
1 month ago
The meteoric rise of Angelica Kauffman RA
Historian Jenny Uglow tells the story of how Angelica Kauffman became a founding Member of the RA and one of the most revered artists in Georgian Britain.
Artists
1 month ago
David Hockney: “I’ve never been mainstream. Just be yourself”
Originally released to celebrate David Hockney’s 80th birthday, filmmaker Bruno Wollheim shared 80 short films made with the artist. Now, they are being re-released daily during the Coronavirus pandemic. Watch three of them here.
Opinion
“There’s a conversation that’s gone wrong, that hasn’t been listened to.”
In 1982 Isaac Julien RA documented the suspicious killing of a black man in a London police station with Who Killed Colin Roach? After the killing of George Floyd in the USA, he questions whether anything has changed.
2 months ago
Opinion
2 months ago
Charles Jones and his vegetable portraiture
A chance find in a market unearthed a bumper crop of early photographs by Charles Jones that are now art-historical treasures. Felix Bazalgette samples the artist-gardener’s rich pickings.
Opinion
“We can’t open our doors just yet – but today we are inviting you inside.”
Jump into the Last Supper, put a masterpiece from our Collection in your own living room or take a virtual tour of our beautiful building on Google Arts & Culture.
2 months ago
Artists
2 months ago
Family how-to: redesign your street
Experiment with architectural collage and have a go at redesigning your street for future generations.
RA Exhibitions
2 months ago
Revisiting the exhibition: Sensing Spaces
In 2014, an architecture exhibition took over the Royal Academy that invited audiences not just to step inside it, but to touch it, smell it and feel it. With a curator’s introduction, a documentary from the show and interviews with the architects, we take a trip back to the monumental exhibition, ‘Sensing Spaces: Architecture Reimagined’.
RA Exhibitions
2 months ago
Bombs, dots and rockstars: seven stories of the Summer Exhibition
From frenemy feuds to a bomb through the roof, the storylines of the Summer Exhibition could make a TV drama – so no wonder it’s often featured on screen. Here are just a few of our favourite episodes…
Artists
2 months ago
Rana Begum: “My work is a release, allowing me to feel calm.”
Rana Begum RA discusses moving studios during a pandemic, its impact on her creative process and how having the children at home has introduced some new qualities into her work.
Artists
2 months ago
Family how-to: fabric painting
Follow these easy instructions to brighten up your organic fabrics using natural, home-made dye.
Our Collection
2 months ago
7 life drawing shorts to do at home
In 2018, we hosted the world’s first-ever livestreamed life drawing class from the Royal Academy’s famous Life Room, #LifeDrawingLive. We’ll be releasing a pose from the class every fortnight, so grab a pencil and have a crack at one.
Artists
2 months ago
Author Tessa Hadley on how we carry art around in our mind
While in lockdown Tessa Hadley pays a visit to her inner National Gallery, contemplating recollections of one of her favourite Renaissance altarpieces, Jacopo Di Cioni’s ‘Coronation of the Virgin’.
Opinion
“After lockdown, there are decisions to be made. Are the arts essential, or a nice luxury?”
The latest in our ‘Artists in Isolation’ series, Turner Prize-winning artist Lubaina Himid RA shares her experience of grieving in lockdown, and explains why, when we come out of it, conversations about the value of art have never been more vital.
3 months ago
Our Collection
3 months ago
How to read it: Meredith Frampton’s Still Life
This meticulous and mysterious work by Meredith Frampton is full of contrasting symbolism. Our Collections team guide you through it in this three-minute read.
RA Recommends
3 months ago
10 novels about art you won’t put down
Every artwork tells a story. Make a cup of tea, take a seat and settle into the ten best novels inspired by art and artists, picked by us.
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