Enter a player name to begin or load your saved progress.
The initial attempt to establish an autonomous art academy in England, preceding the RA, was led by painter William Hogarth in 1755.
Answer: False
Explanation: The initial attempt in 1755 to found an autonomous art academy was primarily led by sculptor Henry Cheere, not William Hogarth, although Hogarth was involved in the broader art scene.
Sir William Chambers played a crucial role in the Royal Academy's founding by securing royal patronage and financial backing from King George III.
Answer: True
Explanation: Sir William Chambers utilized his connections with King George III to secure royal patronage and financial backing, which was crucial for the establishment of the Royal Academy.
The Royal Academy of Arts was officially founded on December 10, 1768, with a mission to establish a design school and hold an annual exhibition.
Answer: True
Explanation: King George III officially founded the Royal Academy of Arts on December 10, 1768, with the dual mission of establishing a design school for students and hosting an annual exhibition.
The Royal Academy's first permanent home was in purpose-built apartments in New Somerset House in 1780.
Answer: True
Explanation: After initial temporary quarters, the Royal Academy moved to purpose-built apartments in the first completed wing of New Somerset House in 1780, which served as its first dedicated permanent home.
Who primarily led the initial attempt in 1755 to establish an autonomous art academy in England, preceding the Royal Academy of Arts?
Answer: Henry Cheere
Explanation: The initial attempt to establish an autonomous art academy in 1755 was primarily led by sculptor Henry Cheere, a member of the Society for the Encouragement of Arts, Manufactures and Commerce.
What was the exact date of the Royal Academy of Arts' official founding by King George III?
Answer: December 10, 1768
Explanation: The Royal Academy of Arts was officially founded by a personal act of King George III on December 10, 1768.
Which of the following artists was NOT among the 34 founder members named in the Royal Academy's instrument of foundation in 1768?
Answer: William Hoare
Explanation: William Hoare was added to the list of founder members by King George III in 1769, not among the initial 34 named in the 1768 instrument of foundation.
What was the Royal Academy's initial location after its founding?
Answer: Pall Mall
Explanation: After its founding, the Royal Academy was initially housed in cramped quarters in Pall Mall.
The Royal Academy of Arts is a government-funded institution primarily led by a board of public officials.
Answer: False
Explanation: The Royal Academy of Arts is an independent, privately funded charity, governed by its members (artists and architects), not by the government or public officials.
Royal Academicians are responsible for selecting and hanging artworks for the annual Summer Exhibition.
Answer: True
Explanation: The members of the Academy, known as Royal Academicians, hold the responsibility for selecting and arranging the diverse artworks featured in the annual Summer Exhibition.
Tracey Emin's acceptance as a Royal Academician in 2007 was seen as a sign of the institution becoming more open.
Answer: True
Explanation: Tracey Emin herself commented that her acceptance as a Royal Academician in March 2007 indicated a shift towards a more open and inclusive Royal Academy.
Rebecca Salter was elected the first female President of the Royal Academy in 2007.
Answer: False
Explanation: Rebecca Salter was elected the first female President of the Royal Academy on December 10, 2019, not in 2007.
Membership of the Royal Academy is limited to 80 practicing artists, who are elected by the General Assembly and collectively govern the institution.
Answer: True
Explanation: Membership in the Royal Academy is capped at 80 practicing artists, known as Royal Academicians, who are elected by the General Assembly and collectively govern the institution.
Engravers were initially excluded from the Royal Academy but were granted full membership status from its founding in 1768.
Answer: False
Explanation: Engravers were initially excluded from the Royal Academy and only gained the opportunity for full membership status in 1853, not from its founding in 1768.
Annie Swynnerton became the first woman Associate of the Royal Academy in 1922, 154 years after its founding.
Answer: True
Explanation: Annie Swynnerton achieved the milestone of becoming the first woman Associate of the Royal Academy in 1922, 154 years after the institution's establishment.
What makes the Royal Academy of Arts unique among art institutions?
Answer: It is an independent, privately funded institution led by artists and architects.
Explanation: The Royal Academy's unique status stems from its independence, private funding, and governance by a body of practicing artists and architects.
Who was appointed as the first President of the Royal Academy of Arts?
Answer: Joshua Reynolds
Explanation: The renowned painter Joshua Reynolds was appointed as the first President of the Royal Academy of Arts.
Who is responsible for selecting and hanging artworks for the Royal Academy Summer Exhibition?
Answer: The Royal Academicians.
Explanation: The Royal Academicians, who are the elected members of the institution, bear the responsibility for selecting and hanging the artworks for the annual Summer Exhibition.
When did Tracey Emin accept the invitation to become a Royal Academician, signaling a shift towards greater inclusivity?
Answer: 2007
Explanation: Tracey Emin accepted the invitation to become a Royal Academician in March 2007, a moment she noted as indicative of the institution becoming 'more open'.
Who were the first two women appointed as professors in the history of the Royal Academy in 2011?
Answer: Tracey Emin and Fiona Rae
Explanation: In 2011, Tracey Emin and Fiona Rae made history as the first two women appointed as professors at the Royal Academy, as Professor of Drawing and Professor of Painting, respectively.
What is the maximum number of practicing artists allowed as members of the Royal Academy?
Answer: 80
Explanation: Membership in the Royal Academy is strictly limited to a maximum of 80 practicing artists, known as Royal Academicians.
When did the Royal Academy first open the opportunity for engravers to become full members?
Answer: 1853
Explanation: While an Associate-Engraver category was created in 1769, engravers were first granted the opportunity to become full members of the Royal Academy in 1853.
Who was the first woman to become an Associate of the Royal Academy, and in what year?
Answer: Annie Swynnerton in 1922
Explanation: Annie Swynnerton became the first woman Associate of the Royal Academy in 1922, marking a significant step for female artists within the institution.
Who was elected the first female President of the Royal Academy, and when?
Answer: Rebecca Salter on 10 December 2019
Explanation: Rebecca Salter was elected the first female President of the Royal Academy on December 10, 2019, a historic moment for the institution.
The Royal Academy Schools are the oldest art school in Britain and have offered a free three-year post-graduate program since their founding.
Answer: True
Explanation: The Royal Academy Schools are recognized as Britain's oldest art school and have consistently offered a free three-year post-graduate program to accepted applicants since their inception.
The Royal Academy Schools' formal training programs were modeled on the Italian Renaissance academies.
Answer: False
Explanation: The Royal Academy Schools' formal training programs were modeled on the French Académie de peinture et de sculpture, not Italian Renaissance academies.
Sir Joshua Reynolds's *Discourses* significantly influenced the Royal Academy Schools' curriculum by advocating for copying Old Masters and drawing from casts and live models.
Answer: True
Explanation: Sir Joshua Reynolds's *Discourses* indeed shaped the Royal Academy Schools' curriculum, emphasizing the importance of studying Old Masters and drawing from various models.
By 1830, over 1,500 students had enrolled in the Royal Academy Schools, indicating an average annual intake of 25 students.
Answer: True
Explanation: By 1830, the Royal Academy Schools had enrolled over 1,500 students, with an average annual intake of 25, demonstrating its consistent educational output.
William Blake and John Constable are among the notable artists who studied at the Royal Academy Schools.
Answer: True
Explanation: William Blake and John Constable are explicitly listed among the many prominent male artists who received their training at the Royal Academy Schools.
Laura Herford was the first woman to enroll as a student at the Royal Academy Schools in 1860.
Answer: True
Explanation: Laura Herford's enrollment in 1860 marked a significant moment as she became the first woman student at the Royal Academy Schools.
What is a key principle of the Royal Academy Schools' three-year post-graduate program?
Answer: It is offered free of charge to accepted applicants.
Explanation: A fundamental principle of the Royal Academy Schools is that its three-year post-graduate program is provided free of charge to all accepted students, ensuring accessibility to art education.
On what model were the Royal Academy Schools' formal training programs based?
Answer: The French Académie de peinture et de sculpture.
Explanation: The Royal Academy Schools' formal training programs were modeled on the French Académie de peinture et de sculpture, which emphasized classical artistic principles.
Who, through his *Discourses*, shaped the Royal Academy Schools' curriculum by emphasizing copying Old Masters and drawing from casts and live models?
Answer: Joshua Reynolds
Explanation: Sir Joshua Reynolds, through his influential *Discourses*, significantly shaped the Royal Academy Schools' curriculum, advocating for the study of Old Masters and drawing from various models.
By 1830, approximately how many students had enrolled in the Royal Academy Schools, with an average annual intake of 25?
Answer: Over 1,500
Explanation: By 1830, the Royal Academy Schools had enrolled over 1,500 students, maintaining an average annual intake of 25 students.
Who was the first woman to enroll as a student at the Royal Academy Schools?
Answer: Laura Herford
Explanation: Laura Herford holds the distinction of being the first woman to enroll as a student at the Royal Academy Schools in 1860.
When was Sir Francis Newbolt made the first Honorary Professor of Law at the Royal Academy?
Answer: 1928
Explanation: Sir Francis Newbolt was appointed the first Honorary Professor of Law at the Royal Academy in 1928, expanding the institution's academic offerings.
The Royal Academy Summer Exhibition, first held in 1769, is an annual open art exhibition and is considered the oldest and largest open submission exhibition globally.
Answer: True
Explanation: The Royal Academy Summer Exhibition, which began in 1769, is indeed an annual open art exhibition, recognized worldwide as the oldest and largest of its kind.
In 1870, the Royal Academy began hosting an annual loan exhibition of Old Masters, replacing its contemporary art exhibition.
Answer: False
Explanation: In 1870, the Royal Academy *expanded* its exhibition program to include an annual loan exhibition of Old Masters; it did not replace its contemporary art exhibition, which continued annually.
The 'Sensation' exhibition in 1997, featuring Young British Artists, was controversial due to its explicit political commentary on the monarchy.
Answer: False
Explanation: The 'Sensation' exhibition in 1997 was controversial due to the inclusion of Marcus Harvey's portrait of convicted murderer Myra Hindley, not explicit political commentary on the monarchy.
The exhibition 'Entangled Pasts, 1768-now' in early 2024 aimed to explore the Royal Academy's connections with Britain's colonial histories.
Answer: True
Explanation: The 'Entangled Pasts, 1768-now' exhibition, presented in early 2024, specifically aimed to discuss the connections between art associated with the Royal Academy and Britain's colonial histories.
The RA and Pin Drop Short Story Award is an annual open submission writing prize, with the winning story read live by a special guest.
Answer: True
Explanation: The 'RA and Pin Drop Short Story Award' is indeed an annual open submission writing prize, culminating in a live reading of the winning story by a special guest.
When did the first Royal Academy exhibition of contemporary art, now known as the Summer Exhibition, open?
Answer: 1769
Explanation: The first Royal Academy exhibition of contemporary art, now known as the Summer Exhibition, opened on April 25, 1769.
What significant expansion to its exhibition program did the Royal Academy introduce in 1870?
Answer: An annual loan exhibition of Old Masters.
Explanation: In 1870, the Royal Academy expanded its exhibition program to include an annual loan exhibition of Old Masters.
What was the primary reason for the controversy surrounding the 'Sensation' exhibition hosted by the Royal Academy in 1997?
Answer: The inclusion of Marcus Harvey's portrait of Myra Hindley.
Explanation: The 'Sensation' exhibition in 1997 generated significant controversy primarily due to the inclusion of Marcus Harvey's portrait of convicted murderer Myra Hindley.
What was the focus of the 'Entangled Pasts, 1768-now' exhibition presented by the Royal Academy in early 2024?
Answer: Connections between art and Britain's colonial histories.
Explanation: The 'Entangled Pasts, 1768-now' exhibition, held in early 2024, specifically focused on exploring the connections between art associated with the Royal Academy and Britain's colonial histories.
The Royal Academy's collection began with a donation from King George III and primarily showcases European Old Masters.
Answer: False
Explanation: The Royal Academy's collection began with Sir Joshua Reynolds's self-portrait, not a donation from King George III, and primarily illustrates the development of a British School of art, not European Old Masters.
The 'Diploma Work' tradition requires each elected Member to donate an artwork representative of their style, contributing to the Royal Academy's collection.
Answer: True
Explanation: The 'Diploma Work' tradition is a long-standing practice where newly elected Royal Academicians donate a representative artwork to the Academy's permanent collection.
The Royal Academy's collection of works on paper includes significant holdings by artists like George Romney and Dame Laura Knight.
Answer: True
Explanation: The Royal Academy's collection of works on paper indeed features significant holdings of drawings and sketchbooks by artists such as George Romney and Dame Laura Knight.
Eadweard Muybridge's *Animal Locomotion* from the 1870s is a notable inclusion in the Royal Academy's photographic collection.
Answer: True
Explanation: Eadweard Muybridge's *Animal Locomotion* (1872–85) is explicitly mentioned as a notable inclusion in the Royal Academy's photographic collection.
Benjamin West's *The Graces Unveiling Nature* is a prominent wall painting in the Royal Academy's entrance hall, surrounded by panels depicting the four classical elements.
Answer: False
Explanation: Benjamin West's *The Graces Unveiling Nature* is a roundel in the *center of the entrance hall's ceiling*, not a wall painting, and is surrounded by panels depicting the four classical elements.
Michelangelo's *Taddei Tondo* is the only marble sculpture by the artist in the United Kingdom and is considered the Royal Academy's most prized possession.
Answer: True
Explanation: Michelangelo's *Taddei Tondo* is indeed the only marble sculpture by the artist in the United Kingdom and is considered the Royal Academy's most prized possession, bequeathed by Sir George Beaumont.
The Royal Academy's entrance portico houses war memorials for students of the Schools and members of the Artists Rifles who died in World War I and II.
Answer: True
Explanation: The entrance portico of the Royal Academy contains two war memorials, commemorating students of the Schools and members of the Artists Rifles who perished in World War I and II.
Where is the Royal Academy of Arts primarily located?
Answer: Burlington House on Piccadilly in London
Explanation: The Royal Academy of Arts is currently situated in Burlington House on Piccadilly in London, its home since 1868.
How did the Royal Academy's permanent collection begin?
Answer: With Sir Joshua Reynolds's self-portrait.
Explanation: The Royal Academy's permanent collection originated with Sir Joshua Reynolds's self-portrait, which served as its foundational piece.
What is the 'Diploma Work' tradition in the Royal Academy?
Answer: A requirement for elected Members to donate an artwork representative of their style.
Explanation: The 'Diploma Work' tradition mandates that each newly elected Royal Academician donates an artwork representative of their artistic style to the Academy's collection.
Which of these artists' drawings and sketchbooks are notably held in the Royal Academy's collection of works on paper?
Answer: George Romney
Explanation: The Royal Academy's collection of works on paper notably includes significant holdings of drawings and sketchbooks by George Romney, among other British artists.
What notable photographic work by Eadweard Muybridge is included in the Royal Academy's collection?
Answer: *Animal Locomotion*
Explanation: Eadweard Muybridge's influential photographic series, *Animal Locomotion* (1872–85), is a notable inclusion in the Royal Academy's photographic collection.
What is the subject of Benjamin West's roundel in the center of the Royal Academy's entrance hall ceiling?
Answer: The Graces Unveiling Nature
Explanation: Benjamin West's roundel in the center of the Royal Academy's entrance hall ceiling is titled *The Graces Unveiling Nature*.
What is unique about Michelangelo's *Taddei Tondo* in the United Kingdom?
Answer: It is the only marble sculpture by the artist in the United Kingdom.
Explanation: Michelangelo's *Taddei Tondo* holds the unique distinction of being the only marble sculpture by the artist located in the United Kingdom.
What war memorials are located in the entrance portico of the Royal Academy?
Answer: Memorials for students of the Schools and members of the Artists Rifles from WWI and WWII.
Explanation: The entrance portico of the Royal Academy features war memorials dedicated to students of its Schools and members of the Artists Rifles who died in World War I and II.
The Royal Academy's 250th anniversary refurbishment project, completed in 2018, was designed by Sir Christopher Le Brun.
Answer: False
Explanation: The major refurbishment project for the Royal Academy's 250th anniversary was designed by David Chipperfield Architects, not Sir Christopher Le Brun.
As part of the 2018 refurbishment, 10,000 works from the Royal Academy's collection were digitized and made publicly available online.
Answer: True
Explanation: A key outcome of the 2018 refurbishment project was the digitization of 10,000 works from the Royal Academy's collection, making them accessible online to the public.
The Royal Academy of Arts receives significant annual funding from the UK government, as its home in Burlington House is government-owned.
Answer: False
Explanation: The Royal Academy of Arts operates as a charity and receives no funding from the State or the Crown, despite its home in Burlington House being government-owned.
The 'Friends of the Royal Academy' program was founded by Sir Joshua Reynolds in 1777 to provide financial support.
Answer: False
Explanation: The 'Friends of the Royal Academy' program was founded in 1977 by Sir Hugh Casson, not Sir Joshua Reynolds, with the purpose of providing financial support.
Who designed the major £56 million refurbishment project for the Royal Academy's 250th anniversary, completed in 2018?
Answer: David Chipperfield Architects
Explanation: David Chipperfield Architects designed the major £56 million refurbishment project for the Royal Academy's 250th anniversary, completed in 2018.
What was a key outcome of the 2018 refurbishment project regarding the Royal Academy's collection?
Answer: 10,000 works were digitized and made available online.
Explanation: A significant outcome of the 2018 refurbishment project was the digitization of 10,000 works from the Royal Academy's collection, making them publicly accessible online.
What is the funding model of the Royal Academy of Arts?
Answer: It operates as a charity and receives funding from neither the State nor the Crown.
Explanation: The Royal Academy of Arts functions as a charity, independently funded and receiving no financial support from the State or the Crown.
Who founded the 'Friends of the Royal Academy' program in 1977?
Answer: Sir Hugh Casson
Explanation: The 'Friends of the Royal Academy' program, a charity providing financial support, was founded in 1977 by Sir Hugh Casson.