Royal Academy of Arts

The Royal Academy of Arts (RA) is an art institution based in Burlington House on Piccadilly in London. It has a unique position as an independent, privately funded institution led by eminent artists and architects; its purpose is to promote the creation, enjoyment and appreciation of the visual arts through exhibitions, education and debate.

History

The Royal Academy of Arts was founded through a personal act of King George III on 10 December 1768 with a mission to promote the arts of design in Britain through education and exhibition. The motive in founding the Academy was twofold: to raise the professional status of the artist by establishing a sound system of training and expert judgement in the arts, and to arrange the exhibition of contemporary works of art attaining an appropriate standard of excellence. Supporters wanted to foster a national school of art and to encourage appreciation and interest in the public based on recognised canons of good taste.

Fashionable taste in 18th-century Britain was based on continental and traditional art forms, providing contemporary British artists little opportunity to sell their works. From 1746 the Foundling Hospital, through the efforts of William Hogarth, provided an early venue for contemporary artists in Britain. The success of this venture led to the formation of the Society of Artists of Great Britain and the Free Society of Artists. Both these groups were primarily exhibiting societies; their initial success was marred by internal factions among the artists. The combined vision of education and exhibition to establish a national school of art set the Royal Academy apart from the other exhibiting societies. It provided the foundation upon which the Royal Academy came to dominate the art scene of the 18th and 19th centuries, supplanting the earlier art societies.

Royal Academy (horse)

Royal Academy (February 21, 1987 – 22 February 2012) was an Irish Thoroughbred racehorse bred in the United States best known as the winner of the 1990 Breeders' Cup Mile in which famed British jockey Lester Piggott came out of retirement to ride the colt to victory.

In 1991 Royal Academy was retired to stud at Coolmore Stud's American arm, Ashford Stud in Versailles, Kentucky. Among others, he sired 2001 Breeders' Cup Mile winner Val Royal, Bullish Luck who in 2006 was voted Hong Kong Horse of the Year and has career earnings of $6,435,501, and Bel Esprit who is the sire of Black Caviar who was rated the best sprinter in the world in 2010, 2011, 2012 and 2013. He sired a British Classic winner in the filly Sleepytime, who won the 1000 Guineas in 1997.

Royal Academy was retired from stud duty in 2010 and died of old age on 22 February 2012 at the Coolmore Stud in Australia.

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Royal Academy (China)

The Royal Academy (Chinese: 教坊) is the official school for music, dance, and theater in China between the Tang Dynasty and Ming Dynasty, lasting more than 1000 years.

History

In the 7th Century, the Chinese Royal Academy was set up by Emperor Gaozu of Tang in the purpose to teach music, theater, and dance for court entertainment. The name of the Royal Academy at first was Private Academy (Chinese: 內教坊), coordinated by the Tai-Chang Temple (Chinese: 太常寺, the central religion administration for the royal family). In the years of Empress Wu Zetian, the Private Academy was once called Yun-Shao Palace (Chinese: 雲韶府, which means the place of cloud and sunlight). Finally, Emperor Zhongzong of Tang renamed the academy to the Royal Academy. In the mean time, he made the school independent with a new governmental official similar to the western Kapellmeister to guide.

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