Royal Academy of Arts to that drawn up by Cheere in 1755. It was Sir William Chambers, a prominent architect and head of the British government's architects' department, the Office of Works, who used his connections with George III to gain royal patronage and financial support for the Academy in 1768. The painter Joshua Reynolds was made its first president, and Francis Milner Newton was elected the first secretary, a post he held for two decades until his resignation in 1788. The instrument of foundation, signed by George III on 10 December 1768, named 34 founder members and allowed for a total membership of
Imperial and Royal Academy of Brussels Imperial and Royal Academy of Brussels The Imperial and Royal Academy (French: "Académie impériale et royale de Bruxelles"; Dutch: "Keizerlijke en koninklijke academie van Brussel") was founded in Brussels by letters patent of the Empress Maria Theresa dated 16 December 1772 , to promote the study of science and literature (in the broadest senses of both words). The sessions of the academy were to take place in the Royal Library in Brussels, which at the same time became an institution open to the public. The first session was held on 13 April 1773. The first director of the Academy was