Royal Academy – The Varnishing Day Portfolio – for Friends
Own a piece of RA history
In late April, with the onset of the global pandemic, it was announced that, for the first time in the history of the RA, the Summer Exhibition would be postponed. In response, our community of Royal Academicians have produced a collaborative work of art, capturing a snapshot of British Art at a crucial juncture.
The result is Varnishing Day: A Moment in Time.
Conceived by Hughie O’Donoghue RA and David Mach RA, the portfolio captures the quiet significance of what the Royal Academicians were doing, thinking and making on 1 June – the day when, for the past 252 years, RA’s would have been celebrating the start of the Summer Exhibition and putting the final touches to their works – on Varnishing Day.
Featuring from heavyweights of British art including Tracey Emin RA, Grayson Perry RA, Yinka Shonibare RA and Farshid Moussavi RA, the portfolio is made up of 100 reproduction prints, perfect for displaying on coffee tables and adorning your walls.
One collaborative project; 100 artists, 100 works, brought together in a unique portfolio for £195*.
Exclusively for Friends of the RA.
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Varnishing Day: A Moment in Time
This unique portfolio represents the first time in our history Royal Academicians have collaborated on one piece of work – taking the temperature of British art at this crucial time.
The portfolio contains 100 individual reproduction prints, each 33 x 24cm and is available to Friends of the RA for £195*.
We are hugely grateful for the support of our Friends, now more than ever, as the RA still faces financial challenges. Every purchase helps support the RA in this crucial time.
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More about the project
Hughie O’Donoghue RA on the grass roots project
“The project was conceived as a gesture to our Friends, who are so important to the Academy…”
In our article Hughie O’Donoghue RA discusses the conception of the portfolio which was intended to connect two of the most important pillars of the RA – the Royal Academicians and our Friends.
Read the article
Ticket release update
Save the date: 8 September, 11am
Friends can book for the full run of Summer Exhibition 2020 and Emin / Munch: The Loneliness of the Soul from Tuesday 8 September.
We’ll also be releasing tickets for the final weeks of Gauguin and the Impressionists on the same day.
Please note: When booking opens, we expect our website and phone lines to be very busy. To help ensure the best experience, we are introducing an online queuing system – thank you in advance for your patience. We have also increased the number of tickets available for Friends and you will be able to book for the full run of each of our autumn exhibitions.
