Royal Academy Exhibition of 1882

The Royal Academy Exhibition of 1882 was the hundred and fourteenth annual Summer Exhibition of the British Royal Academy of Arts. It was held from 1 May to 7 August 1882 at Burlington House in Piccadilly in London. More than a thousand artists and architects of the later Victorian era displayed works.^[1]

John Singer Sargent made his debut at the Royal Academy with his portrait painting Doctor Pozzi at Home, although it attracted virtually no attention.^[2] The Scottish artist John Pettie displayed the history painting The Duke of Monmouth's Interview with James II depicting the aftermath of the Monmouth Rebellion.^[3] Clytemnestra by John Collier was inspired by the play Agamemnon by Aeschylus, depicting the Mycenaen queen just after she has killed her husband in revenge. Stanhope Forbes, later a key figure in the Newlyn School considered a British response to French impressionism, exhibited A Street in Brittany. Elizabeth Thompson displayed the latest in her series of war art with Floreat Etona! capturing a scene from the First Boer War.

Many of the best-established painters were represented including John Everett Millais, William Powell Frith and the President of the Royal Academy Frederic Leighton. The quality of the sculptures on display was noted by the press and was mentioned by Leighton in his speech at the annual Royal Academy dinner. The bronze sculpture Teucer by Hamo Thornycroft was acquired for the nation by the Chantrey Bequest. Amongst the influential foreign sculptors who displayed works were Alphonse Legros and Auguste Rodin, who made his Royal Academy debut.^[4] Rodin displayed a Bust of Saint John, but also sent work to be exhibited at the rival Grosvenor Gallery.^[5]