31-614: The Royal Scottish Academy building , the home of the Royal Scottish Academy , is an art museum in Edinburgh , Scotland . It is situated at the junction of The Mound and Princes Street in the centre of the city. It was built by William Henry Playfair in 1822-6. Along with the adjacent National Gallery of Scotland , their neo-classical design helped to transform Edinburgh into the cityscape known as "the Athens of
62-586: A Britannia statue with a reclining lion was originally intended for the building). Each of the four corners of the building is topped by a pair of carved stone sphinxes , also by Steell. In 2003 railings (lost in World War II) together with a series of traditional lamps, were restored around both the Academy and the National Gallery behind, isolating each building from the public space here. In
93-630: A Diploma work into the Permanent Collection of the RSA, they are then entitled to full membership of the Academy. The membership includes 30 Honorary Academicians and 104 Academicians. From 2010–12, the RSA President was Professor Bill Scott, Secretary Arthur Watson and Treasurer Professor Ian Howard. In 2018, Joyce W. Cairns was elected as the first female President in the history of the Academy. Current RSA President, Gareth Fisher
124-579: A broad cross-section of contemporary Scottish art. Members are known as Academicians , and are entitled to use the post-nominal letters RSA. The president uses the postnominal letters PRSA while in office, and PPRSA (Past President of the RSA) thereafter. Academicians are elected to the Academy by their peers. There are also Honorary Academicians (HRSA). After amendments to the Supplementary Charter in 2005, once Associates (ARSA) have submitted
155-496: A collection of artworks and a fine arts library; and to provide financial support to less fortunate artists. The RSA's first Annual Exhibition was held in the rented rooms at 24 Waterloo Place. From 1835, the group leased gallery space in the Royal Institution building to mount exhibitions of its growing art collection, and in 1838 the group received a royal charter and became the Royal Scottish Academy (RSA). One of
186-521: A sculpted acanthus frieze with triglyphs . The north and south elevations are fronted by prostyle octastyle porticoes surmounted by large pediments decorated with scrolled foliate carving. The east and west sides feature smaller pedimented projections. The north portico on the Princes Street side is topped by a large statue of Queen Victoria styled as Britannia , sculpted by Sir John Steell (Playfair's original drawings indicate that
217-454: A tribute to the origins of architecture and its role in the history and development of man. The channels could also have a function in channeling rainwater. In terms of structure, a triglyph may be carved from a single block with a metope, or the triglyph block may have slots cut into it to allow a separately cut metope (in stone or wood) to be slid into place, as at the Temple of Aphaea . Of
248-564: A triglyph) are called femur in Latin or meros in Greek. In the strict tradition of classical architecture, a set of guttae , the six triangular "pegs" below, always go with a triglyph above (and vice versa), and the pair of features are only found in entablatures of buildings using the Doric order. The absence of the pair effectively converts a building from being in the Doric order to being in
279-475: Is joined by Secretary Edward Summerton RSA and Treasurer Jo Ganter RSA. Triglyph Triglyph is an architectural term for the vertically channeled tablets of the Doric frieze in classical architecture , so called because of the angular channels in them. The rectangular recessed spaces between the tri glyphs on a Doric frieze are called metopes . The raised spaces between the channels themselves (within
310-614: Is surrounded by fluted Doric columns , while the SNG is distinguished by its colonnade of plainer Ionic columns . Exhibition space is shared throughout the year by the RSA with the NGS and other exhibiting societies: the Society of Scottish Artists , Visual Arts Scotland and the Royal Society of Watercolourists . Royal Scottish Academy The Royal Scottish Academy ( RSA ) is
341-537: The Tuscan order . The triglyph is largely thought to be a tectonic and skeuomorphic representation in stone of the wooden beam ends of the typical primitive hut , as described by Vitruvius and Renaissance writers. The wooden beams were notched in three separate places in order to cast their rough-cut ends mostly in shadow. Greek architecture (and later Roman architecture ) preserved this feature, as well as many other features common in original wooden buildings, as
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#1732797384205372-609: The 19th and 20th centuries, the arts organisations relocated; the Society of Antiquaries moved its museum to new premises on Queen Street (the building that now houses the Scottish National Portrait Gallery ), while the Royal Society moved to 22-24 George Street , and in 1907, the Royal Institution moved to the new Edinburgh College of Art .. In 1911, the RSA was granted permanent tenancy of
403-684: The 2010s, the RSA building was refurbished as part of the £32 million Playfair Project , and linked to the Scottish National Gallery by a subterranean public area to create a single, integrated arts complex with an additional entrance in Princes Street Gardens . The Royal Scottish Academy Building is frequently confused with the neighbouring building, the Scottish National Gallery (SNG), due to their architectural similarity. The RSA Building
434-713: The North". Today the structure is a Category A listed building . The building was originally proposed by the Scottish Board of Manufactures and Fisheries in 1821 to provide shared accommodation for three separate cultural organisations: the Royal Society of Edinburgh , the Royal Institution for the Encouragement of the Fine Arts and a museum of the Society of Antiquaries of Scotland . The building
465-696: The RI to be too elitist. In 1826, a group of artists broke away from the Royal Institution and took the name of the Scottish Academy of Painting, Sculpture, and Architecture . The inaugural meeting was held on 27 May 1826 at Stewart’s Rooms on Waterloo Bridge, Edinburgh, attended by 13 founding Academicians — 11 painters, one architect and one sculptor. The first president was George Watson , who served until 1837. Its aims were to hold an annual exhibition, open to all artists of merit; to provide free education for artists by founding an academy of fine arts; to build
496-401: The RSA permanent administration offices in the building. The RSA building is designed in the neo-classical style , modelled on a Greek Doric temple . The rectangular structure is faced with sandstone ashlar stone from Culallo, Fife, and Craigleith . It is surrounded by a colonnade of fluted Doric columns on a stylobate . A Doric entablature runs above the columns, consisting of
527-415: The Society of Antiquaries relocated its museum to new premises on Queen Street (the building that now houses the Scottish National Portrait Gallery ), while the Royal Society moved to 22-24 George Street , and in 1907, the Royal Institution moved to the new Edinburgh College of Art . In 1911, the RSA, which had been sharing space in the National Gallery building since 1859, was granted permanent tenancy of
558-554: The architecture awards, as well as external awards which it presents. The RSA's home since 1911 has been the Royal Scottish Academy Building at the junction of The Mound and Princes Street in Edinburgh , adjacent to the National Gallery of Scotland building . The RSA building is managed by National Galleries Scotland but the 1910 Order grants the RSA permanent administration offices in
589-495: The building. Exhibition space is shared throughout the year with the Scottish National Gallery and other organisations (Exhibiting Societies of Scottish Artists). The building, originally designed by William Henry Playfair , was recently refurbished as part of the Playfair Project and is now part of the Scottish National Gallery complex. The RSA is led by a body of eminent artist and architect members who encompass
620-573: The country’s national academy of art. It promotes contemporary Scottish art . The Academy was founded in 1826 by eleven artists meeting in Edinburgh . Originally named the Scottish Academy , it became the Royal Scottish Academy on being granted a royal charter in 1838. The RSA maintains a unique position in the country as an independently funded institution led by eminent artists and architects to promote and support
651-474: The creation, understanding, and enjoyment of visual arts through exhibitions and related educational events. The Royal Institution for the Encouragement of the Fine Arts in Scotland (RI) was founded in 1819 with the aim of mounting exhibitions and promoting artistic appreciation in Scotland. The RI acquired artworks by contemporary Scottish artists as well as a number of Old Masters . A new building to house
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#1732797384205682-433: The erection of the fluted Doric columns. In 1826, a group of artists broke away from the Royal Institution after disagreements over its policies, taking the name of the Scottish Academy . From 1835, the group leased gallery space in the Royal Institution building to mount exhibitions of its growing art collection, and in 1838 the group received a royal charter and became the Royal Scottish Academy (RSA). One of its key aims
713-508: The evolution of the Doric order, the placing of the triglyphs evolved somewhat , especially at corners. In post-Renaissance architecture the strict conventions are sometimes abandoned, and guttae and triglyphs, alone or together, may be used somewhat randomly as ornaments. For example, the Baroque Černín Palace in Prague (1660s) has triglyphs and guttae as ornaments at the top of arches, in
744-411: The exhibitions, the Royal Institution designed by the noted Scottish architect William Henry Playfair , was erected in Edinburgh at the junction of The Mound and Princes Street . The RI shared the premises with other cultural organisations, the Royal Society of Edinburgh , and a museum of the Society of Antiquaries of Scotland . Disagreements grew in the artists' community, and many considered
775-407: The key aims of the RSA was to found a national art gallery for Scotland, and this was realised in 1859, when a new gallery building was built by Playfair, the National Gallery of Scotland , adjacent to the RI building. The building housed RI's collection of Old Master paintings along with the RSA collection. The RSA continued to share space in the National Gallery building until 1911. At the turn of
806-696: The last 180 years are housed in the National Museums Collection Centre at Granton, and are available to researchers by appointment. Displays of the historic collections are mounted whenever possible. The most famous award the Royal Scottish Academy administers is the Guthrie Award which goes out to Scottish-based artists annually, since 1920, but there are many others like the Keith Award, the Latimer Award and
837-471: The old RI building and the right to hold its annual exhibition there. The building became known as the Royal Scottish Academy , a name it retains to this day. In addition to a continuous programme of exhibitions, the RSA also administers scholarships, awards, and residencies for artists who live and work in Scotland. The RSA's historic collection of important artworks and an extensive archive of related material chronicling art and architecture in Scotland over
868-494: The old RI building and the right to hold its annual exhibition there. The building became known as the Royal Scottish Academy , a name it retains to this day. The former RI building was remodelled in 1911-12 by William Thomas Oldrieve , with the addition of new galleries on the upper level. Today, the Royal Scottish Academy Building is managed by National Galleries Scotland but a 1910 Order grants
899-485: The two groups of 6th-century metopes from Foce del Sele , now in the National Archaeological Museum of Paestum , the earlier uses the first method, the later the second. There may be some variation in design within a single structure to allow for corner contraction, an adjustment of the column spacing and arrangement of the Doric frieze in a temple to make the design appear more harmonious. In
930-569: Was known as the Royal Institution from 1826 to 1911. The Royal Institution building was designed by the noted Scottish architect William Henry Playfair and built in 1822-6. According to the antiquary James Grant , 2000 piles were driven into the ground to stabilise the foundations on the site above the Nor Loch . The construction works are depicted in an 1825 painting by Alexander Nasmyth , in which Playfair can be seen supervising
961-458: Was to found a national art gallery for Scotland, and this was realised in 1859, when a new gallery building was built by Playfair, the National Gallery of Scotland , adjacent to the RI building. The building housed RI's collection of Old Master paintings along with the RSA collection. In 1831–6, the Board of Manufactures and Fisheries extended the Royal Institution. At the end of the 19th century,