Episode 5 of 5

First Royal Academy Exhibition opens

When: 25 April – 27 May 1769
Where: London, venue of the first Royal Academy Exhibition
Part of: Founding of the Royal Academy

The first Royal Academy Exhibition of Contemporary Art opened on 25 April 1769 and ran until 27 May 1769, fulfilling the founding mission's exhibition requirement.

The first Royal Academy Exhibition of Contemporary Art opened on 25 April 1769 and ran until 27 May 1769. The annual exhibition formed part of the mission set out in the 1768 instrument of foundation, which charged the new academy with establishing a school of design for students in the arts together with an annual exhibition.

Sources

Royal Academy of Arts Wikipedia, revision of 2026-08-18

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