Members of the Royal Academy in an Interior with a Male Nude Model, 1768

The Royal Academy in London was founded in 1768. The painter Zoffany made a portrait of its members, gathered in the room used for drawing from the nude model. The scene is not an illustration of daily routine, but a true group portrait of the academy members, almost all of whom are recognizable. Seated far left is Zoffany himself; behind him, with raised arm, Benjamin West. Paul Sandby is seen standing next to the lamp. Diagonally in front of him, with his hearing aid in hand, Sir Joshua Reynolds, the founder of the academy. Francesco Zuccarelli stands, one hand on his knee, before the model, which is placed on the podium. Angelica Kauffman is present through her portrait on the wall. Casts of the bust of Homer and the Medici Mercury by Giovanni Bologna are among the examples students could study during their training.