Exhibition
All exhibitions are free of charge. Museum admission
applies.
Studio Sittings: Photographing Royal Academicians
Anne Purkiss
15 March - 2 June
What remains unchanged over a period of more than 150 years
is the fascination of photographers, art lovers and collectors with
images of artists and their creative spaces. We still see these
pictures as a record and one possible key to understanding the
artist, the creative process, and the social environment in which
they lived. Anne Purkiss, 2013.
For over 25 years, portrait photographer Anne
Purkiss has been taking pictures of Royal Academicians. Often
posed in their studios, these images are a unique record of some of
the most celebrated artists of recent times. From Dame
Elisabeth Frink, to Sir Peter Blake and Sir Anthony Caro the images
provide a telling insight into the artist’s working environment and
their creative spaces.
Frederic Leighton’s own career was bound up
with the Royal Academy. Elected an Associate in 1864, he
became President in 1878. His era saw the emergence of the
celebrity artist; whose image was widely photographed, published
and collected. Studio Sittings includes photographs
of Leighton and his RA contemporaries also posed in their studios
allowing a fascinating dialogue to emerge.
