Summer Exhibition at the Royal Academy

Monday July 14th

We're having a three day London Break.

Monday morning saw us up early and on our way. First into Peterborough using our free travel passes, then on to the Capital via the train, across London on the Underground and finally a 10 minute walk up a leafy tree lined London Street to our Hotel. We managed to keep our luggage simple, one wheeled suitcase and a rucksack. The journey took us almost three hours, not bad as it would have been just as long by car and far more stressful with the Motorway then London traffic.

Our Hotel is the 'Darlington Hyde Park' on Sussex Gardens. Our room was a very quite one on the ground floor. Just ordinary, reasonably spacious and adequate, no view but then you don't need a view when your asleep!

After a refreshing cup of tea we headed back into the Capital. The hotel staff has directed us to a nearer underground station at Paddington, just five minutes away.

The Royal Academy of Arts is to be found in Burlington House, Piccadilly in the heart of the City. It was founded by George III in 1768. Governed by artists to 'promote the arts of design'

I had been wanting to visit the Summer exhibitions for several years now but had never had a chance before. This year is the Academy's 240th exhibition. It gives established and new artists a chance to exhibit.

The Academy is an impressive mellow stone building reached through and impressive carved stone archway. The Courtyard is dominated by Sir Anthony Caro's sculpture 'Promenade' consisting of five free standing steel structured.
The carved stone courtyard entrance

After a light snack in the little cafe in the sunny courtyard we did the rounds of the galleries of the Summer Exhibition. The vast number of pieces on display are overwhelming an its difficult to take it all in. Several pieces remain in my memory but none really shouted out at me I'm afraid. A series of eight large water colour paintings of a nude dancer entitled Burlesque Dancer Turning ' by David Remfry R.A. I found very compelling . A pencil, ink and watercolour piece by Chis Orr entitled 'General Strike or a Good Day Out' was great fun. The Charles Wollaston Prize went to Jeff Koons sculpture called 'Cracked Egg (Blue)' it's a big shiny blue egg with the top off. You can walk around it and look in it and see it's shiny silver reflective inside.

Eventually after two circuits of the exhibition we headed back in to the warm London sunshine and came across the Burlington Arcade. It's over 40 years since we visited this very elegant arcade of shops dedicated to selling only the very exclusive goods. We wandered along the ancient passage of .You need a seriously healthy bank balance to be able to shop here! The Arcade is Britain's very first shopping Mall! opened in 1819 and was the longest covered shopping street in England.