RSA East Midlands- July 3rd 2014 New Arts Exchange - What would william shipley do?
What would william shilpley do? IDENT trailers |
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Who was William Shipley?
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William Shipley while living in Northampton first envisaged the establishment of a Society for the encouragement of arts, manufacture and commerce. Shipley’s vision was simple; he believed that industry should be stimulated by means of prizes drawn from a fund contributed to by public-spirited people.
In 1753 Shipley left Northampton for London and in June of that year made public his proposals for a new Society. On the 22 March 1754 the first meeting of the Society was held at Rawthmell’s Coffee House in Covent Garden. His proposal to offer awards was a feature that was to characterise the (R)SA for its first hundred years. The Society encouraged developments, ideas and inventions in six areas of contemporary importance: Agriculture, Chemistry, Colonies and Trade, Manufacture, Mechanics and Polite Arts. Winners of premiums during the first few years of the Society included art from individuals who would go on to become successful painters of the late eighteenth century. They included Richard Cosway, who painted this portrait of William Shipley. |
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