Frenemies: Friendship, Enmity and Rivalry in British Art 1769-2018

From the earliest histories of art, the friendships and rivalries of artists have been the subject of anecdote and gossip. For that reason they have been associated with the popular storylines of art, rather than with the scholarly discourse of art history. However, the wide-ranging re-evaluation of affect and emotion that is taking place in the humanities, and the increasing recognition of a synchronic, network model of understanding rather than a diachronic, emulative one in art history, have served to suggest that artistic friendships and rivalries are key agents in the production and reception of works of art. This methodological shift has helped art historians perceive the significance of interpersonal relationships to art-making. It has drawn attention to the sociability of artists, and to the entwining of their personal and professional networks. Meanwhile, across other disciplines, the impact of friendship, personal networks and communities of rivalry upon cultural production have been the subject of important studies. Furthermore, the idea of productive or inhibiting enmities (a more awkward but still profoundly important category of affective relationship) is also becoming a fruitful avenue of exploration.

The long history of British art furnishes many examples of complex and productive friendships and bitter, crushing rivalries. The Royal Academy, from its foundation to today, is one major locus of such complex affective networks, as has been its annual summer exhibition. In conjunction with the exhibition The Great Spectacle: 250 years of the Summer Exhibition, to be held at the Royal Academy between June and August of 2018, and curated by the Paul Mellon Centre’s Mark Hallett and Sarah Victoria Turner, this conference seeks to explore the impact of friendships and enmities on subject matter and artistic method, as well as on the formation of artistic careers and on the reception of works of art. We aim to re-evaluate elevate these relationships, shifting them from the peripheral status of cultural gossip to central aspects of making and meaning.

The Symposium is funded by the Paul Mellon Centre for British Art and convened by Georgina Cole (The National Art School, Sydney), Mark Hallett, Mark Ledbury (The Power Institute, University of Sydney) and Sarah Victoria Turner.

Programme Summary

Full conference programme available below.

Tickets for individual days

19th July (only)- General Admission £20 (+ admin fee)

20th July (only) - General Admission £20 (+ admin fee)

Tickets for both days

General Admission £40 (+ admin fee) for 19^th & 20^th July

Ticket includes admission to the conference on 19 & 20 July and entry to 'The Great Spectacle: 250 Years of the Summer Exhibition' (RA, Burlington House) between 08.30-10.00 on 20th July only (not transferrable for another time).

Vouchers for complimentary tea/coffee at Senate Room café for conference refreshment breaks to be provided at event registration on both days. Lunch not provided.

Concession Admission £30 (+ admin fee) for 19^th & 20^th July

Applies to students and 60+. ID may be requested on the day.

Ticket includes admission to the conference on 19 & 20 July and entry to 'The Great Spectacle: 250 Years of the Summer Exhibition' (RA, Burlington House) between 08.30-10.00 on 20th July only (not transferrable for another time).

Vouchers for complimentary tea/coffee at Senate Room café for conference refreshment breaks to be provided at event registration on both days. Lunch not provided.

Arrival Instructions

Guests should enter via the Burlington Gardens entrance (Royal Academy of Arts, 6 Burlington Gardens, London, W1S 3ET) and then the Royal Academies Visitor Services team will direct you to the Lecture Theatre.

^{Image credit: Sir Joshua Reynolds, Colonel Acland and Lord Sydney: The Archers (detail), 1769, 23.6 x 18 cm. © Tate, London 2017.}