A Royal Academy A-Z

‘A’ is for anatomy, ‘B’ is for bun fights, ‘C’ is for a certain cartoon by Leonardo. With Maurice Davies, Head of Collections, and Annette Wickham, Curator of Works on Paper, as expert guides, discover a fascinating history of the Royal Academy of Arts from A to Z. This charming book delves into the archives to find all kinds of documents and artefacts, which are reproduced alongside paintings, sketches and sculptures by some of Britain’s best-loved artists. Engaging text brings to life a hidden RA: from George Stubbs’s equine dissections to the secret recipe for the mysterious ‘beef tea’, which has fortified Academicians for generations. Packed with quarrels and quibbles, triumphs and disasters, rivalries, romances and resignations, this amusing book provides a light-hearted look at the history of a unique institution as it celebrates its 250th anniversary.