The Royal Academy aimed to revive British arts and crafts

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.