What is Royal Academy?
[[Image:Microcosm of London Plate 002 - Exhibition at Somerset House by Thomas Rowlandson and Augustus Pugin. 1800..jpg|right|thumb|250px|An early ''Summer Exhibition'' at the Academy's original home in ''Somerset House''.]] [[Image:Royal Academy Simon Fieldhouse.jpg|thumb|250px|Royal Academy London]] The '''Royal Academy''' (RA),<ref>RA is an [[acronym]]. RA stands for '''R'''oyal '''A'''cademy.</ref> is an [[art]] institution based in Burlington House, [[Piccadilly]], [[London]]. It is a club for top [[painter]]s and [[sculptor]]s. They elect their own members, and give regular [[exhibition]]s of art works. The Royal Academy was formed to rival the [[Society of Artists]] after an leadership dispute between two leading [[architect]]s, Sir [[William Chambers (architect)|William Chambers]] and [[James Paine]]. Paine won, but Chambers used his strong connections with [[George III of the United Kingdom|King George III]] to create the Royal Academy, in 1768. It was formally launched the following year. Membership of the Royal Academy is up to 80 practising artists, each elected by ballot of the General Assembly of the Royal Academy. They are known as Royal Academicians (RA, or more traditionally as R.A.). The Royal Academy is governed by these Royal Academicians. Sir [[Joshua Reynolds]] was its first president,<ref name=npg>[http://www.npg.org.uk/collections/search/person.php?LinkID=mp03755&page=2&role=art Sir Joshua Reynolds], National Portrait Gallery, London, accessed September 2009</ref> and [[Benjamin West]] its second. ==Related pages == * [[List of Royal Societies]] ==References== {{reflist}} {{UK-stub}} {{authority control}} [[Category:Museums in London]] [[Category:Art museums in the United Kingdom]]