Royal Academy of Arts

Literary/ Cultural Context Essay

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Proposals to found an Academy of Fine Arts in London, modelled on the French example, were made as early as 1736 and became frequent during the 1740s and 1750s, a period in which the exhibition and sale of modern art works was expanding — along with all manner of cultural consumption — in a London made rich by increasing national and international trade. Gentlemanly tastes, then as now, inclined towards works of a suitable age and provenance, but new British work was beginning to find occasional place.

Artists experienced diverse needs — for a guild or trade association to ensure the education of practitioners and provide financial help to those in distress and their dependants, and above all an organisation which could arrange exhibitions and develop the market. From 1746 the

613 words

Citation: Clark, Robert. "Royal Academy of Arts". The Literary Encyclopedia. First published 08 February 2007 [https://www.litencyc.com/php/stopics.php?rec=true&UID=974, accessed 19 March 2024.]

974 Royal Academy of Arts 2 Historical context notes are intended to give basic and preliminary information on a topic. In some cases they will be expanded into longer entries as the Literary Encyclopedia evolves.

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