If last week's Scottish independence referendum achieved anything, it raised awareness of Britain and Britishness. But for a few hundred thousand votes, here is a nation that could have ceased to be. But just what is Britishness? A visit to "Genius and Ambition: The Royal Academy of Art, London 1768-1918" at Tokyo Fuji Art Museum offers a few clues.
The Royal Academy was Britain's attempt to brush up its artistic credentials in the aftermath of its astounding successes in the Seven Years War (1756-63). But after so much hard power, one wonders why Britain felt the need to bolster its soft power.
Whatever the reason, the RA, as it came to be known, was founded as an institution to promote art and govern taste, with a headquarters in London that finally found its permanent home in the iconic Burlington House Building in Piccadilly.