THIS YEAR THERE WERE ANONYMOUS submissions from countries as far apart as Australia, Canada, India, the United States and Taiwan. In total, 16,500 works, mostly from Britain, were judged initially on photographic evidence. Less than 10% (1,497 pieces this year) were shortlisted and assessed in person at the RA’s headquarters in Piccadilly. A committee of Academicians makes the final selection. This year, 1,614 artworks (of which 1,135 were public submissions) will be displayed in Burlington House. Of these, 498 of the works selected were by first-timers which is just about 30% – an impressive tally given that all works (apart from those by the Academicians) are submitted anonymously, so no preferential treatment can be given to “new voices.”
Here are just six works from first-timers who attended the Non-Members Varnishing Day on 2 June 2023.
Charlotte Russell Stoneham
Jugs a Trio
WATERCOLOUR AND
