Summer Exhibition Illustrated 2020

The Royal Academy's legendary Summer Exhibition has been an annual event since 1769, making it the longest-running art exhibition of its kind. The exhibition, which includes paintings, prints, drawings, sculpture, architectural models and photography, is the largest open-submission show in the UK.

First published in the 1870s, the Summer Exhibition Illustrated presents the highlights of each year's selection. A committee of Academicians choose which artists and architects - professional and amateur alike - will have the chance to display their work in the galleries of Burlington House, to be seen by thousands of visitors.

In the essay that begins the book, this year's coordinator explains the ideas behind the show and provides a behind-the-scenes glimpse into this idiosyncratic fixture of the London calendar.