National Galleries of Scotland

Académie Royale de Peinture et de Sculpture

Founded in 1648, an academy of painting and sculpture in Paris.

Classicism

A general term for art and architecture based on ancient Greek and Roman culture.

Idealisation

The representation of something as a model of perfection.

Lithograph

A printmaking technique using a stone or zinc plate to which the image is applied with a greasy material. After wetting the plate, greasy ink is applied. The ink sticks only to the drawn image and not the wet surface, thus creating a reproduction when applied to paper.

Naturalism

Art based on the observation of objects rather than on theoretical or stylistic concerns.

Paris Salon

The Paris Salon was the official exhibiting space of the French Academy. Established in 1673 it moved to the Salon d'Apollon at the Louvre in 1725, when it became known as the `Salon de Paris?. In 1737 the annual exhibitions were made public and artists were invited to submit their work before a jury. Exhibiting at the Salon and receiving official recognition were vital for an artist's career. In the late 19th century artists became disillusioned with the jury system and its influence declined as a number of independent exhibiting societies were established. The government withdraw its official support in 1881.