An air of mischief greets visitors when they enter the courtyard to this year’s summer exhibition at the RA, now celebrating its 250th year. The stone and steel sculpture by Anish Kapoor, For a Beloved Daughter, that sets a seriously monumental tone to this arrival, is at once juxtaposed with the historic statue of Joshua Reynolds adorned with a Hawaiian flower garland.

Curated by Grayson Perry, the exhibition opens to the public tomorrow, featuring precisely 1,351 works, alongside the opening of the gallery’s extension by David Chipperfield and a special exhibition entitled The Great Spectacle featuring works from Turner to Tracey Emin.

Following the annual tradition of the summer exhibition; artworks from established academicians jostle with unknown and emerging artists where, to Perry’s glee, “Joe Bloggs often comes off better”.

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