Royal Institute of Painters in Water Colours

The Royal Institute of Painters in Water Colours (RI), initially called the New Society of Painters in Water Colours, is one of the societies in the Federation of British Artists, based in the Mall Galleries in London.

Detail of Picadilly premises
Premises at Picadilly 18831970

History

In 1831 the society was founded as the New Society of Painters in Water Colours, competing with the Royal Watercolour Society (RWS), which had been founded in 1804. The founding members were William Cowen, James Fudge, Thomas Maisey (treasurer), O. F. Phillips, Joseph Powell (president), W. B. S. Taylor, and Thomas Charles Wageman. The New Society differed from the RWS in policy, by exhibiting non-members' work also. Both societies challenged the Royal Academy's refusal to accept the medium of watercolours as appropriate for serious art.

In 1839 Henry Warren (1794–1879) became president of the society and was re-elected for many years until he resigned due to failing eyesight.[1] In 1863 there was a name change to the Institute of Painters in Water Colours. In 1883 it acquired its own premises at Piccadilly, across the road from the Royal Academy. In 1885 it added "Royal" to its title by command of Queen Victoria. When the lease to the Piccadilly premises ran out in 1970, it moved to the Mall Galleries, near to Trafalgar Square. The Institute's 207th Exhibition takes place at the Mall Galleries between 3–18 April 2019.

Royal Institute Galleries

The premises at 190-195 Piccadilly hosted many exhibitions by other societies and were known simply as "Royal Institute Galleries".[2] It is now a grade II listed building.[3] Number 195 is now home to BAFTA.[4]

Current officers

The current officers (2017) are:

  • Rosa Sepple PRI, President
  • Robin Hazlewood RI, Vice President
  • Lillias August RI, Hon Secretary
  • David A Parfitt RI, Treasurer
  • Naomi Tydeman RI, Membership Secretary
  • Jean Robinson RI, Exhibitions Secretary
  • Sandra Walker RI, Archivist
  • Christopher Myers, Publicity Secretary

Prominent members

See also

References

This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is licensed under Creative Commons - Attribution - Sharealike. Additional terms may apply for the media files.