Minutes of meetings of the Council, including the following selected entries: summary by the Secretary,
Sidney Hutchison, of the Royal Academy’s financial position, 5 October 1976; discussion of the resurfacing of the courtyard of Burlington House and the proposal of the President,
Sir Hugh Casson, to plant trees around the statue of
Sir Joshua Reynolds, 5 October 1976; note that it had been agreed to establish a “Friends of the Royal Academy” scheme, 5 October 1976 and further, 7 December 1976 [Friends of the Royal Academy launched 1 January 1977]; consideration of the recommendations of the Special Financial Committee, including the decision to make arrangements for the sale of possessions to the value of about £500,000, but not including diploma works, 26 October - 16 November 1976; consideration of the recommendations of the Membership Sub-Committee, resulting in the decision to refer to the General Assembly proposals to increase the membership to 100 and to abolish Associateship, 16 November 1976, the reaction of recent General Assemblies to the proposals, 31 May 1977 and reconsideration of the proposals by the Council, 12 July 1977; consideration of suggestions made at the General Assembly of 14 December 1976, including discussion of the proposal of the President, Sir Hugh Casson, that members might volunteer as pavement artists as part of the Jubilee Year Summer Exhibition, 11 January 1977; note that there were 5,167 Friends of the Royal Academy, and that they had subscribed £62,342, 15 March 1977; report by the President, Sir Hugh Casson, on a meeting with representatives of Dulwich College, and agreement that, in view of their current debt, the Governors [of Dulwich Picture Gallery] should be allowed discretion to sell works from the particular list submitted, rather than be faced with the possibility of having to close the gallery, 25 April 1977; abandonment of a proposal to mount flags at roof level on the Piccadilly frontage of Burlington House, following objections from Westminster City Council and the Linnean Society, 25 April 1977; report on the inspection of fifteen books from the Library which were proposed for sale and on the valuation of certain prints: the Librarian,
Constance-Anne Parker, pleading for the retention of
Goya’s ‘Tauromachia’ and
Piranesi’s ‘Carceri’, 10 May 1977; and the decision to investigate a possible loan of the
Michelangelo tondo [‘The Madonna and Child with the Infant St John’] to the J. Paul Getty Museum in Malibu, California, United States, following a suggestion that, as a result, “substantial revenue might be obtained”, 21 June 1977.