The Royal Academy Exhibition of 1773 was the fifth annual Summer Exhibition of the British Royal Academy of Arts. It took place in Pall Mall in Central London between 24 April and 29 May 1773. Featuring works from 151 artists and architects, it attracted over twenty thousand visitors during its month long run. [1]
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Widely commented on was the number and quality of the thirteen paintings on show by the President of the Royal Academy Joshua Reynolds. [2] Featuring mainly portrait paintings, including portraits of George III's brother Duke of Cumberland and his wife as well David Garrick, they also included the history painting Count Ugolino and his Children in the Dungeon, which he had been working on since 1770. In addition he displayed a fancy picture The Strawberry Girl. [3] He produced a Portrait of Joseph Banks featuring the future President of the Royal Society. [4]
The Anglo-American artist Benjamin West displayed his own Portrait of Joseph Banks , making reference to his recent voyage with James Cook. In addition he submitted a group of Neoclassical history paintings including The Death of Chevalier Bayard . James Barry submitted the now lost Jupiter and Juno on Mount Ida, based on Homer's Illiad . [5] From Rome, David Allan sent in The Prodigal Son and Cupid and Psyche. Johann Zoffany exhibited a conversation piece featuring Queen Charlotte with her brothers and children. [6]
After a dispute over one of his paintings the previous year, the Bath-based artist Thomas Gainsborough declined to submit any paintings to the exhibition despite being one of the founders of the Royal Academy. [7]
