Editing Royal Academy of Arts (section)

==History==
[[File:Royal Academy Simon Fieldhouse.jpg|thumb|A modern illustration of [[Burlington House]] in London, home of the Royal Academy of Arts since 1868]]
The origin of the Royal Academy of Arts lies in an attempt in 1755 by members of the [[Royal Society of Arts|Society for the Encouragement of Arts, Manufactures and Commerce]], principally the sculptor [[Henry Cheere]], to found an autonomous academy of arts. Prior to this a number of artists were members of the Society for the Encouragement of Arts, Manufactures and Commerce, including Cheere and [[William Hogarth]], or were involved in small-scale private art academies, such as the [[St Martin's Lane Academy]].{{sfn|Hodgson|Eaton|1905|p=7}} Although Cheere's attempt failed, the eventual [[charter]], called an 'Instrument', used to establish the Royal Academy of Arts over a decade later was almost identical to that drawn up by Cheere in 1755.<ref>Gordon Sutton, ''Artisan or Artist?: A History of the Teaching of Art and Crafts in English Schools'' (London: Pergamon Press, 2014) p.297</ref>

The success of St Martin's Lane Academy led to the formation of the [[Society of Artists of Great Britain]] and the Free Society of Artists.{{sfn|Hodgson|Eaton|1905|p=10}} [[William Chambers (architect)|Sir William Chambers]], a prominent architect and head of the British government's architects' department, the [[Office of Works]], used his connections with [[George III of the United Kingdom|King George III]] to gain royal patronage and financial support for the Academy.<ref>John Harris, ''Sir William Chambers Knight of the Polar Star'', Chapter 11: ''The Royal Academy'', 1970, A. Zwemmer Ltd</ref> The Royal Academy of Arts was founded through a personal act of King George III on 10 December 1768 with a mission "to establish a school or academy of design for the use of students in the arts" with an annual exhibition.{{sfn|Hodgson|Eaton|1905|p=11}}

[[File:A scene of a pantamime entertainment lately exhibited LCCN2002716141.jpg|thumb|Satirical drawing of [[William Chambers (architect)|Sir William Chambers]], one of the founders, trying to slay the 8-headed hydra of the [[Society of Artists of Great Britain|Incorporated Society of Artists]]]]
The painter [[Joshua Reynolds]] was made its first president,{{sfn|Hodgson|Eaton|1905|p=14}} and Francis Milner Newton was elected the first secretary,{{sfn|Hodgson|Eaton|1905|p=8}} a post he held for two decades until his resignation in 1788.{{sfn|Hodgson|Eaton|1905|p=96}}

The instrument of foundation, signed by George III on 10 December 1768, named 34 founder members and allowed for a total membership of 40. The founder members were Reynolds, [[John Baker (artist)|John Baker]], [[George Barret Sr.|George Barret]], [[Francesco Bartolozzi]], [[Giovanni Battista Cipriani]], [[Agostino Carlini|Augustino Carlini]], [[Charles Catton]], [[Mason Chamberlin]], [[William Chambers (architect)|William Chambers]], [[Francis Cotes]], [[George Dance the Younger|George Dance]], [[Nathaniel Dance-Holland|Nathaniel Dance]], [[Thomas Gainsborough]], [[John Gwynn (architect)|John Gwynn]], [[Francis Hayman]], [[Nathaniel Hone the Elder]], [[Angelica Kauffman]], [[Jeremiah Meyer]], [[George Michael Moser]], [[Mary Moser]], [[Francis Milner Newton]], [[Edward Penny]], [[John Inigo Richards]], [[Paul Sandby]], [[Thomas Sandby]], [[Dominic Serres]], [[Peter Toms (painter)|Peter Toms]], [[William Tyler (architect)|William Tyler]], [[Samuel Wale]], [[Benjamin West]], [[Richard Wilson (painter)|Richard Wilson]], [[Joseph Wilton]], [[Richard Yeo]], [[Francesco Zuccarelli]].{{sfn|Hodgson|Eaton|1905|p=353}} [[William Hoare]] and [[Johann Zoffany]] were added to this list by the King in 1769.{{sfn|Hodgson|Eaton|1905|p=353}}

[[File:The Royal Academicians in General Assembly.png|thumb|''[[The Royal Academicians in General Assembly]]'' by [[Henry Singleton (painter)|Henry Singleton]], 1795. Singleton depicts the Academicians at [[Somerset House]] with notable works of the collection behind them.]]
The Royal Academy was initially housed in cramped quarters in [[Pall Mall, London|Pall Mall]], although in 1771 it was given temporary accommodation for its library and schools in Old [[Somerset House]], then a royal palace.{{sfn|Hodgson|Eaton|1905|p=13}} In 1780 it was installed in purpose-built apartments in the first completed wing of New Somerset House, located in the [[Strand, London|Strand]] and designed by Chambers, the Academy's first treasurer.{{sfn|Hodgson|Eaton|1905|p=13}} The Academy moved in 1837 to [[Trafalgar Square]], where it occupied the east wing of the recently completed [[National Gallery (London)|National Gallery]] (designed by another Academician, [[William Wilkins (architect)|William Wilkins]]).{{sfn|Hodgson|Eaton|1905|p=320}} These premises soon proved too small to house both institutions. In 1868, 100 years after the Academy's foundation, it moved to [[Burlington House]], Piccadilly, where it remains.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.british-history.ac.uk/report.asp?compid=41482 |title=Burlington House &#124; Survey of London: volumes 31 and 32 (pp. 390–429) |publisher=British-history.ac.uk |access-date=2013-03-26 |archive-date=27 September 2007 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070927222605/http://www.british-history.ac.uk/report.asp?compid=41482 |url-status=live }}</ref>

The first Royal Academy exhibition of contemporary art, open to all artists, opened on 25 April 1769 and ran until 27 May 1769. 136 works of art were shown and this exhibition, now known as the [[Royal Academy Summer Exhibition]], has been staged annually without interruption to the present day. Following the cessation of a similar annual exhibition at the [[British Institution]], the Academy expanded its exhibition programme to include a temporary annual loan exhibition of Old Masters in 1870.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/pt?id=gri.ark%3A%2F13960%2Ft13n8gh5h&view=1up&seq=7|title=Exhibition of the works of Old Masters|year=1870|publisher=Royal Academy; Printed by William Clowes and Sons|access-date=25 July 2020|archive-date=24 September 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200924131033/https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/pt?id=gri.ark%3A%2F13960%2Ft13n8gh5h&view=1up&seq=7|url-status=live}}</ref>

Britain's first public lectures on art were staged by the Royal Academy, as another way to fulfil its mission. Led by Reynolds, the first president, the first program included a lecture by [[William Hunter (anatomist)|William Hunter]].<ref>{{Cite journal |author=Kemp M |title=True to their natures: Sir Joshua Reynolds and Dr William Hunter at the Royal Academy of Arts |journal=Notes and Records of the Royal Society of London |volume=46 |issue=1 |pages=77–88 |date=January 1992 |pmid=11616172 |doi=10.1098/rsnr.1992.0004 |s2cid=26388873 }}</ref>

In 2018, the Academy's 250th anniversary, the results of a major refurbishment were unveiled. The project began on 1 January 2008 with the appointment of [[David Chipperfield]] Architects. [[Heritage Lottery Fund]] support was secured in 2012. On 19 October 2016 the RA's [[Burlington Gardens]] site was closed to the public and renovations commenced. Refurbishment work included the restoration of 150 sash windows, glazing upgrades to 52 windows and the installation of two large roof lights.<ref>{{Cite web|title = Royal Academy of Arts|url = https://www.trcwindows.co.uk/case-studies/royal-academy-of-arts/|website = TRC Windows|access-date = 2021-09-30|language = en|archive-date = 26 August 2022|archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20220826182805/https://www.trcwindows.co.uk/case-studies/royal-academy-of-arts/|url-status = live}}</ref> The "New RA" was opened to the public on 19 May 2018. The £56&nbsp;million development includes new galleries, a lecture theatre, a public project space for students and a bridge linking the [[Burlington House]] and Burlington Gardens sites. As part of the process 10,000 works from the RA's collection were digitised and made available online.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.royalacademy.org.uk/ra250|title=The New RA Now open|website=royalacademy.org.uk|access-date=13 February 2019|archive-date=17 March 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200317113233/https://www.royalacademy.org.uk/ra250|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.standard.co.uk/go/london/arts/the-royal-academy-of-arts-gets-a-new-look-everything-you-need-to-know-about-56m-redevelopment-a3838856.html|title=The Royal Academy of Arts gets a new look: Everything you need to know about £56m redevelopment|publisher=[[Evening Standard]]|last=Thompson|first=Jessie|date=14 May 2018|access-date=13 February 2019|archive-date=5 December 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191205203303/https://www.standard.co.uk/go/london/arts/the-royal-academy-of-arts-gets-a-new-look-everything-you-need-to-know-about-56m-redevelopment-a3838856.html|url-status=live}}</ref>