George III, Joseph Farington and the Royal Academy

The Royal Academy aimed to revive British arts and crafts

JOHAN JOSEPH ZOFFANY (FRANKFURT 1733-LONDON 1810)

The Academicians of the Royal Academy

1771-72

RCIN 400747

This group portrait of all the founder members of the Royal Academy engaged in a life drawing exercise (the two female Academicians, Mary Moser and Angelica Kauffmann are depicted in portraits on the walls – women being forbidden from attending male life-drawing classes) was painted by Johann Zoffany, probably for George III, and was exhibited at the annual Academy exhibition in 1772 to great acclaim.


    Royal Collection Trust is a charity caring for the Royal Collection, one of the world’s great art collections. Income from your visit helps us to conserve and share the Collection so that it can be enjoyed by everyone, wherever they are.