'The Academicians of the Royal Academy' Johan Zoffany 1771-72 (Royal Collection Trust)
In 1768 the Royal Academy (RA), London opened with Joshua Reynolds heading up the group of artist led founders known as the academicians(RAs) and became the start of formalising the practice of life drawing in Britain. Zoffany's painting of the academicians depicts a lively debate taking place rather than the work of drawing but the image instills a sense of pride the members have for working from life. The two female founders, Angelica Kauffman and Mary Moser, are not depicted attending the life class in this painting "on the grounds of moral propriety" but Zoffany does reference their presence in the form of two oval portraits hung above the male life models. In 1860, Laura Herford was the first female student to be admitted into the academy and subsequent women joining the establishment thereafter were confined to only drawing from the casts. It was not until 1893 that female students could draw from the male model but again restrictions were in place. Rowlandson's depiction of a life class shows a rebellious student wearing an apron deviating from the traditional method of drawing and is 'outrageously' producing a painting. This was usually frowned upon as it was deemed to 'raise moral hackles' and 'seduce students away from draughtsmanship'. This practice was sometimes allowed at the RA depending on the 'visiting' teacher at the time.
Thomas Rowlandson,A Life Class at the Royal Academy, Somerset House,1811
"The variable approach to life drawing at the Royal Academy was a direct result of the teaching system that had been put in place at the outset. There was no specialist teacher for the class, which was overseen instead by a series of 'Visitors'...[Academicians]...each to take a turn at teaching the class for a month. The intention was to avoid the students being overly influenced by one particular artist or style."
To this day the RAs continue to be practicing artists, who have been elected into the academy by their peers, and have an important role in steering the academy's vision. Many of the RAs teach at the RA Schools and contribute to the RA Learning Programmes.
Because it's run by artists, the RA is never going to become a cosy old club. There will always be somebody who sees it as their duty to rebel. That's what artists do: we're contrarians.
Grayson Perry RA
Currently showing at the RA in the Sackler wing galleries is the From Life exhibition, which despite having a poor review from Laura Cumming writing for the Observer's Art & Design section (17/12/17), is a worthwhile visit. The variable drawings from Jeremy Deller's 'Iggy Pop Life Class' is to see the exchange between the artists and the iconic performer. The artists all saw something different. The direct act of looking at the human rather than the personality, the icon, was to witness a truthful reality. The honesty in each of the exhibited works is breathtaking. The connection between the artists and the sitter is palpable and immediate.
It was a privilege to attend a life drawing class at the Royal Academy on Wednesday 7th February 2018 as part of the RA's 250th anniversary celebrations. It was an honour to work with the esteemed 'Visitor' Humphrey OceanRA and an experience I will treasure. Humphrey is an engaging speaker whose personal recounts fascinated his admiring audience. Any anxiety I was feeling, since my life drawing skills were somewhat rusty after three decades of non-use, quickly subsided as I was drawn into Humphrey's beguiling world of looking. Our model for the session was Bella and Humphrey continuously described the shape and forms as 'Bella shaped'. This reminded us that we were drawing the human from direct observation and that we should look longer at Bella than we did at our drawings. It seems such an obvious statement but in practice the act of looking takes much energy and is a discipline requiring repeated practice.
Bella drawing #1 Sara Jayne Harris 2018
Humphrey reviewing the drawings
I took a great deal away from this remarkable session and I am now keen to continue drawing directly from life to develop my observation skills. It wasn't long before my next opportunity arose as there was a weekly student led class taking place at UCA Farnham which I immediately joined. The poses were timed every 30-60 seconds and this quick-fire approach was a new challenge for me. The results of my efforts are extremely loose and anatomically incorrect, however, there is merit in some of the lines produced and this is something I can build upon in successive classes. I am eagerly awaiting the next class!
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