Society of Artists of Great Britain

Joshua Reynolds was a member of the Society (self-portrait c. 1748).

The Society of Artists of Great Britain was founded in London in May 1761[1] by an association of artists in order to provide a venue for the public exhibition of recent work by living artists, such as was having success in the long-established Paris salons. Leading members seceded from the society in 1768, a move leading directly to the formation of the Royal Academy of Arts. The society was dissolved 1791 after years of decline.[2]

  1. ^ Taylor, Brandon (22 April 1999). Art for the Nation: Exhibitions and the London Public, 1747–2001. Manchester: Manchester University Press. ISBN 9780719054532.
  2. ^ "Incorporated Society of Artists of Great Britain". Royal Academy of Arts. Retrieved 26 April 2014.