Modern Classicisms at the Royal Academy
The Modern Classicisms team was delighted, on 14–15 April 2018, to team up with the Royal Academy of Arts as part of a special weekend dedicated to Essential Forms: Antiquities and Universal Motifs. Housed in the ‘Life Room’ at the Royal Academy, and led by the indefatigable and hugely engaging Judith Nugée, participants discussed ‘the fascinating world of antiquities and the ancient arts – with a view to the timeless forms, ideas and universal motifs that are so influential across the arts and culture up to the present day’.
One of the particularly special things about the Royal Academy weekend was the opportunity to be in the ‘Life Room’ itself. Casts of classical statues are to be seen everywhere one looks, and originally the room was designed as a space for life-drawing classes.
It was also great to tie up our university research-project with the work of the Royal Academy itself. The President of the Royal Academy, Christopher Le Brun, has hugely enriched our Modern Classicisms work (you can watch the talk that he gave at King’s here, as well as his soundbites to a project video here). We also featured a painting and two sculptures by the artist in The Classical Now exhibition: although the show has now closed, you can read about Le Brun’s work in book that accompanies it.
