One of the things I really liked about the film about The Private Life of the Royal Academy was the extent to which it showed the work of the staff – curators, conservators, collections managers, our archivist heroically carrying the Roll of Obligation back and forth to meetings, the Head of Collections overseeing a hang in the General Assembly Room. The Angelica Kauffmans are shown being taken down from the corners of the front entrance hall in Burlingto House. They are the Four Elements of Art – Invention, Composition, Design and Colour – and were originally painted for the ceiling of the Council Room in Somerset House. Three of the four are now back in place.


Agreed : it was so good to hear the Red Collars getting praise – they are lovely people.
Great post, thank you Charles. Kauffman will also be commemorated at Tate Britain in a spotlight display, including her designs for the ceiling of the Royal Academy: http://www.tate.org.uk/visit/tate-britain/display/spotlights/angelica-kauffman-royal-academician