Royal Society of British Artists (RBA)

About

The Society of British Artists was formed in 1823 with new galleries in Suffolk Street designed by the fashionable Regency architect John Nash. The Society was granted a Charter in 1846 but it was until until 1887 under the leadership of James McNeill Whistler, that the Society won the right to the prefix 'Royal'. Whistler raised the profile of the Society by setting standards of acceptance, which attracted the attention of not only London's aristrocracy and fashionable society, but also of both Monet and Alfred Stevens, who became Honorary Members. In the years that followed, the Society attracted many painters and sculptors of note including Walter Sickert, L.S Lowry, Henry Moore, Peter Greenham, Sir Roger de Grey, Carel Weight and Colin Hayes. In 1970 the RBA became the main contributor to the Federation of British Artists at Mall Galleries and under the present leadership of the president James Horton, it continues to pursue artistic excellence.