Royal Hibernian Academy of Arts of Painters, Sculptors, Architects and Engravers

Foundation date: 5 August 1823

Active: 1823 -

Function: Art society, art school

Policy: Founded in 1823 under a Royal Charter of George III, to provide members with an Academy House and suitable Galleries for Exhibition (p.3).

The academy's first exhibition was held in the new premises in 1826 and as recorded in it catalogue defined the purpose of the academy as follows:'the promotion of the fine arts in Ireland...by the proper management of a public annual exhibition of works of art but principally by the communication of instruction in painting, sculpture and architecture...'.

In its second charter of 1861, the function of the RHA is described as:
'the better cultivation and advancement of the Fine Arts in Ireland'.

Although not laid down in its charter, the RHA decided to follow the example set by the Royal Academy in London and held exhibitions, in addition to the establishment of a Life School for young students.

From 1857 onwards, the receipt of the annual grant(first awarded in 1832) was conditional on a favourable report from inspectors on the satisfactory progress made by students in the Life School. Up to 1900 this task was managed by the Inspector of the Science and Art Department, South Kensington. After that date it was undertaken by the Art Inspector of the Department of Agriculture and Technical Instruction, Dublin.

The Council of the Academy were required by rules to submit an annual report of the Academy's transactions to the Lord Lieutenant.

History or description: At its foundation the RHA consisted of 14 members and 10 associates. William Ashford (painter) was elected its first President, Francis Johnston (architect) was elected Treasurer and William Mossop (medallist) was Secretary.

RHA Buildings:
When Francis Johnston became the second President of the academy in 1824, the RHA was still without a space or building of its own. In 1825 Johnston designed and built an Academy House and Gallery in Middle Abbey Street, from his own personal funds. The new building featured exhibition rooms, schools of drawing, of living models, of sculpture and painting, and also included rooms for a Keeper. The cost cost of this endeavour was £14,000. In 1830 Johnston's widow paid for an octagonal gallery to house the casts of sculpture.

In later years a Schoolroom for the study of the living model was erected and other works also carried out, to value of £1,000 provided by Sir Thomas Jones, PRHA from 1869-93. In 1832 the academy received a Government grant of £300 (of which £250 was to be used for the running of the Life School) and the same amount was received annually until just before the Second World War.

The RHA made efforts to increase its membership and to facilitate this development, a new Charter was obtained in 1861, which included procedures for elections and other by-laws. In 1872 a sum of £403 was expended from public works funding, for repairs to the roof and other than that expense, the RHA has received no further funding, other than the annual sum already mentioned of £300.

Annual exhibitions were held at the original premises until 1916. During the Easter Rising, a barricade was made of newspaper rolls taken from the Freemans Journal, which spanned the street in front of the academy building. The barricade was set alight and spread into the academy building. All the academy records, the works of art given to the academy over time, the library begun by Edward Haughton and all of the schools' equipment perished in the fire. The premises was completely burnt down.

In 1939 Dermod O' Brien (PRHA) purchased a house and adjacent garden at 15 Ely Place, with a view to a new home for the academy, that could be expanded over time. However, such plans did not proceed immediately. The academy's annual exhibitions were held at the Metropolitan School of Art in Kildare street from 1916 until 1970. During the student unrest at the National College of Art and Design during the late 1960s, the students demanded that the RHA resume its exhibitions elsewhere - the authorities acceded to this demand.

In 1970 the RHA's annual exhibition was held at St. Patrick's Hall, Dublin Castle and from 1971 to 1984, the annual exhibitions were held at the National Gallery of Ireland.

In 1971 businessman Mr Matthew Gallagher proposed building, at his own expense, a new gallery on the Ely Place site and this plan went ahead during 1972. Mr. Gallagher died in 1974 and his company experienced financial difficulties. The academy were now the owners of an incomplete building and it was 1985 before the building could host its first exhibition, the 156th annual RHA exhibition. The academy is still in situ at Ely Place today and again undergoing refurbishment (2008).

RHA Annual exhibitions:
The annual exhibitions were held between March and early May and the admission charge was one shilling for the day time and one pence in the evening. In the last quarter of the 19th century, there was a decline in annual receipts for admission. Between 1875-85 there were an average of 28,480 visitors each year, only 19,389 per annum in the following decade and by 1900 it was down to 9,709. In response, the charge for evening admissions was raised from one penny to two pence with the result that receipts fell further and the average for the ten years to 1905 was only 7,967.

With the diminishing attendance, purchasers of works of art also declined, which in return affected the academy's commissions on sales. In order to keep up a creditable exhibition, approximately two-fifths of the pictures on show came by invitation from Britain. It was recorded that the expense of transport and insurance regarding such works imposed a drain on the finances of the academy.

RHA Life School:
The life school was open five days per week from November to June each year. No evening classes were held due to the limited means of the academy. 'The school aims at affording instruction to students in Drawing and Painting from the life, and Drawing from the Antique; but owing to the inadequacy of accommodation in the single class-room available, it is not possible to teach the latter subject'.

The teaching was provided for by the annual election of four or more Academicians or Associates, who act as Visitors. The Visitors attend the school for one week each in turn and receive a small fee for doing so (ten shillings per two hour session).

Students were admitted free, having shown some proof of artistic ability and that they would benefit from further instruction. Between 1900-06 there was an average of 17 students per annum, mostly women. Only 1 or 2 male students attended occasionally. It was noted that women were first admitted in 1893 due to the difficulty in securing male students. However after women were admitted, the men practically ceased to attend the RHA.

There was no time limit put on incoming students, with the result that some were still in attendance after 5 years. Nearly all of the RHA's students were drawn from the Metropolitan School of Art (MSA) and prizes were awarded annually, but no scholarships available. (This contrasted with the MSA which did offer scholarships).

In 1901 the Lord Lieutenant, Sir William Abney, recommended the amalgamation of the Life Schools of the RHA with the MSA. This was not only for financial reasons, but also in the belief that the rooms at the MSA were better suited to such teaching. However, members of the RHA were against such a move, as they thought this would not meet the requirements of the students attending the RHA.

A full discussion of the proposals, continued in 1906, appear in the 1906 Report of enquiry and include the following: 'that a grant be voted to render a third gallery suitable for exhibition purposes and for other repairs to existing buildings and that a new charter be granted to deal with the necessary changes envisioned...all vis-a-vis the RHA, and that concurrently, steps should be taken with a view to changing the title of the MSA school to that of the Royal College of Art for Ireland. Additionally, that in lieu of the existing two Life Schools, that only one Life School remain operating, in the MSA, and that a Professorship of Painting be established within the school and that an independent outside Committee to be established to appoint the staff and direct the work of the Life Schools of Painting and Sculpture.'

This account is based on the 1906 Report of the Committee of Enquiry and also from an article relating the history of the RHA, written by Thomas Ryan, PRHA in 1985, as published in the Irish Arts Review, Autumn 1985.

Activities: exhibitions (open to non-members)

Publications: annual reports

Citing this record

'Royal Hibernian Academy of Arts of Painters, Sculptors, Architects and Engravers', Mapping the Practice and Profession of Sculpture in Britain and Ireland 1851-1951, University of Glasgow History of Art and HATII, online database 2011 [http://sculpture.gla.ac.uk/view/organization.php?id=msib3_1202138535, accessed 05 Jun 2023]