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.