Royal Academy of Arts

Congratulations to all of our Summer Exhibition 2024 prize winners!

Each year, the Royal Academy presents a number of prizes for outstanding works in the exhibition. Amongst this year's winners is this beautiful work, 'In the Quietest Moments' by Wendy Freestone, which was awarded the AXA Art Prize UK 2024 outstanding work of figurative art.

Discover all the winners on our website https://roy.ac/w1638yq9

This sculpture is made from a mango seed husk.

Mango Locket by Rebecca Swindell explores the ethics of tropical fruit production.

She said "A locket traditionally held illustrations or photos of lost loved ones. Here, they show the dire working conditions of mango farm workers. The male mango pickers wear face and neck coverings to protect themselves from sun, insects and pesticides which cause skin burns. Mango Locket aims to challenge the belief our mangos are produced on smaller scale country farms rather than large scale industrial farms, which often abuse both its workers and the land."

This thought-provoking work is on display in our Summer Exhibition, tickets on our website https://roy.ac/9uf26zkf

2025 is a feast for the eyes! We are excited to announce our exhibitions for next year.

Discover the vibrant works of Kerry James Marshall, the imaginary worlds of Victor Hugo, how Anselm Kiefer has been inspired by Van Gogh, the birth of modernism in Brazil, and the artistic journey of Indian sculptor Mrinalini Mukherjee and her circle.

Find out more https://roy.ac/2m1kv3o2

Kerry James Marshall, School of Beauty, School of Culture, 2012. Acrylic and glitter on unstretched canvas, 274.3 x 401.3 cm. Collection of the Birmingham Museum of Art, Alabama. © Kerry James Marshall. Photo: Sean Pathasema. Image courtesy of the artist and Jack Shainman Gallery, New York.

Our much loved Young Artists’ Summer Show returns for its sixth year on 16 July! Why does it give us so much joy? Art educator Neil Walton explains how discovering a love of art is a wonderful thing 🥰

Find out more ⤵️

Why children’s art matters | Exhibition | Royal Academy of Arts As the Young Artists’ Summer Show returns to the RA, art educator Neil Walton states that now, more than ever, young people need encouragement to value art in their lives.

This monumental landscape is made from woven musical scores.

Created by Kate Davis and David Moore, Kate began to weave music scores as a response to her mum’s death when words were not enough to express her sadness. Weaving the music score gave a sound and sense of duration and time passing to her feelings.

“It was after a boat trip encounter with Bass Rock, the world’s biggest gannet colony which lies off Edinburgh’s coast, that we knew it was the right subject for us. The Bass Rock is made of phonolite rock, a ‘sounding stone’, so called because it makes a metallic noise when hit with a hammer. The scores are selected from ‘Songs of the North Vol 1’, a collection of 18th-century traditional folk songs gathered from the highlands and lowlands of Scotland which are all about the landscape, love & death.”

This incredible work is on display in our Summer Exhibition: https://roy.ac/9uf26zkf

Whether sightseeing or art-spotting, Venice is always buzzing with people 🎨

Walter Sickert RA spent time in the floating city in the 1890s, where its architecture constantly inspired him and which he painted with bold brushstrokes, such as this magnificent church on the Grand Canal.

Do you have a favourite Venice visitor tip?

Walter Sickert RA, 'Santa Maria della Salute, Venice', ca. 1901. Oil on canvas. 560 mm x 460 mm. © Photo: Royal Academy of Arts, London. Photographer: John Hammond.

Today we say goodbye to our ‘Angelica Kauffman’ exhibition.

One of the most celebrated artists of her time, this exhibition gave us a chance to introduce a new audience to a truly trailblazing artist, who, despite her huge fame in 18th century Europe, was not as well known today.

Did you discover Kauffman at the RA? What's your favourite work? Tell us in the comments ⬇️

Supported by Christian Levett and Musée FAMM

Gallery view of the Angelica Kauffman exhibition at the Royal Academy of Arts, London (1 March - 30 June 2024), Photo © Royal Academy of Arts, London / David Parry

“Ukraine’s priceless artistic treasures have made it to London” - The Times

In the Eye of the Storm: Modernism in Ukraine is now open.

Explore vibrant and innovative modernist art created in Ukraine between 1900-1930s. From avant-garde theatre design to cubist folk art, this exhibition is the UK's most comprehensive show of modern Ukrainian art: https://roy.ac/do135hdx

Mykola Kasperovych, 'Portrait of a Girl', 1920s. Tempera on plywood, 23 x 23 cm. National Art Museum of Ukraine

Today we're celebrating

With over 1,700 artworks on display in our Summer Exhibition, we've got a portrait to suit every mood. Which one would you choose for your wall?

🧑‍🎨 Images:

Amy Du, 'My Father the Hero', painting

Toby Holmes, 'Raspberry Flavour', print

Charmaine Watkiss, ‘The Warriors’ Strenght Navigates the Inhospitable’ (detail). Coffee, water-soluble graphite, pencil, watercolour, ink and colour pencil, 76 x 56 cm. Courtesy of the artist

Caglayan Aktug, 'Fumeur', print

In the early 20th century, Ukraine was a place of bold artistic experimentation. The arts flourished, from painting to literature and theatre design.

Opening next week, In the Eye of the Storm: Modernism in Ukraine explores the range of artistic styles and cultural identities in Ukraine from 1900-1930s.

Get your tickets now: https://roy.ac/do135hdx

Oleksandr Bohomazov, 'Sharpening the Saws', 1927. Oil on canvas, 138 x 155 cm. National Art Museum of Ukraine

Angelica Kauffman used the self-portrait to constantly reinvent herself, painting more than 24 over her career.

In this later work, painted while at the height of her powers, she dressed in a simple white robe, taking on the form of a vestal virgin in the Temple of Art. A kind of original Instagram filter, controlling the way her captivated audience saw her.

Come see this beautiful painting for yourself, before the exhibition closes on 30 June 📆 Book your tickets: https://roy.ac/r5jk4fj9

Gallery view of the Angelica Kauffman exhibition at the Royal Academy of Arts, London (1 March - 30 June 2024), showing 'Self-portrait in all’antica Dress', 1787. On loan from Gallerie degli Uffizi, Florence. Photo © Royal Academy of Arts, London / David Parry

Summer is officially here!

Put away those winter coats, head down to the Royal Academy and bathe in the sunshine that is the 2024 Summer Exhibition ☀️

Where else can you find work from world famous artists nestled next to first time entrants, in a beautiful mix of the expected and the unexpected?

With more than 1,700 works on display, there's something for everyone and most of what you see is available to buy as well!

Find out more https://roy.ac/9uf26zkf

Thanks to Insight Investment, our exhibition sponsor.

Installation views of the Summer Exhibition 2024. Photo: © Royal Academy of Arts, London / David Parry

From Saltburn to Top Boy, Strictly to Drag Race, and even a 007 too, the stars were out last night to celebrate the 2024 Royal Academy Summer Exhibition!

📷: Darren Gerrish

The 2024 Summer Exhibition is almost upon us and the Wollaston Award, given to the 'most distinguished work’ in the exhibition, has been announced.

This year's award is awarded to Tracey Emin's work 'Did it Ever Get Any Better'.

Come and see this beautiful work alongside 1,709 others, in the world's largest open submission exhibition. Opens 18 June: https://roy.ac/9uf26zkf

Tracey Emin CBE RA, ‘Did it Ever Get Any Better’. Acrylic, 182.3 x 152.2 cm. © The Artist. Photo: Ollie Harrop

After fifteen years in London, Angelica Kauffman returned to Italy in 1781 as an established artist at the height of her powers.

There, she continued to attract famous clients for her lively portraits such as this painting of the Anglo-Polish architect and theatrical-set designer Michael Novosielski. Shown here holding a compass, he points to his design for the King’s Theatre in London.

‘Angelica Kauffman’ is on now at the RA – book tickets: https://roy.ac/r5jk4fj9

Angelica Kauffman, 'Michael Novosielski (1750–1795)' (detail), 1791. Oil on canvas, 128 × 101.6 cm. National Galleries of Scotland. Bequest of Mrs Elizabeth Stewart 1879

Empires collapsed, The Ukrainian People’s Republic rose and fell, and Ukrainian lands were absorbed into the Soviet Union.

Read our guide on our upcoming exhibition ‘In the Eye of the Storm’ and meet the artists who defined the culture of Ukraine at the start of the 20th century.

Read now: https://bit.ly/4518hK5

This landscape by Edward Wolfe RA is giving strong Bank Holiday ramble vibes 🏞️

Wolfe was sometimes known as ‘England’s Matisse’, because of his use of bold colours, which you can clearly see in these energetic strokes and patches of colour that create the lush, rolling countryside. Take us there now!

Edward Wolfe RA, ‘Marbella’, 1972. Oil on canvas laid on board. 410 mm x 512 mm. © Royal Academy of Arts. © Photo: Royal Academy of Arts, London. Photographer: John Hammond.

Does this painting fill you with a sense of unease?

By Philip Hermogenes Calderon RA, a big fan of the Tudors and Stuarts era, it depicts two very different figures. A serious faced older man is followed by a young woman who stares out at the viewer with a concerned look.

Titled 'Whither?', the painting's subject is typical of Calderon’s work, posing an open-ended question for the viewer to engage with.

Given that it's likely that Calderon painted this work in Hever Castle, Anne Boleyn’s childhood home, do you think it's an allusion to the fate of Anne herself?

Philip Hermogenes Calderon RA, ‘Whither?’, 1867. Oil on canvas. 86.9 cm x 119 cm. ©Royal Academy of Arts, London; photographer: John Hammond

Angelica Kauffman's ambitious history paintings often featured female protagonists front and centre.

Here, we see the grieving Cleopatra at the tomb of her lover, Roman general Mark Antony.

The canvas focuses on Cleopatra’s mourning, presenting the Egyptian queen - dressed in modest white - in the relatable role of the grieving widow.

Don’t miss it in our ‘Angelica Kauffman’ exhibition – book your tickets: https://roy.ac/r5jk4fj9

Angelica Kauffman, 'Cleopatra Adorning the Tomb of Mark Antony', c. 1769–70. Oil on canvas, 126.5 × 101.7 cm. The Burghley House Collection. Photo: © The Burghley House Collection

Wild swimming goals, right here!

Charles Gere RA was a landscape artist who mainly painted tranquil scenes of the Cotswolds, but on this occasion he ventured a bit further afield to Switzerland. It's likely that this delightful mountain spot was painted from sketches made during a trip there in 1938.

Charles Gere RA, 'The Blue Lake at Sierre', 1938. Tempera on silk laid on canvas. 610 mm x 760 mm. © The Artist's Estate. © Photo: Royal Academy of Arts, London. Photographer: John Hammond.

This colourful print of Oxford is giving us day trip ideas 🤔

The artist, Edwin La Dell ARA, was a key figure in both the development of colour lithography in Britain and establishing the teaching of lithography in art schools.

Edwin La Dell ARA, ‘Meadows, Oxford’, 1959. Lithograph. © The Artist's Estate. © Photo: Royal Academy of Arts, London. Photographer: Prudence Cuming Associates Limited.