Royal Cambrian Academy of Art

During the 19th century there were numerous attempts to establish an academy in Wales comparable to those already in existence in England, Scotland and Ireland. The Royal Cambrian Academy of Art was eventually founded in 1881, by a group of mainly English painters led by Henry Clarence Whaite, many of whom were now based in the Conwy Valley. Ever since political unrest had made the Grand Tour hazardous for travellers, the wilds of North Wales became a fashionable alternative for English artists, in particular the area around Betws-y-Coed which attracted the likes of David Cox. The coming of the railways later aided artists from Liverpool and Manchester in transporting their art materials to…