Clark Collection at RA

On the 7 July the Royal Academy of Arts in London opens what promises to be a worthwhile exhibition: From Paris: A Taste for Impressionism, Paintings from the Clark. Ignore the RA's unenlightened reference to those boring old impressionists. This is a major exhibition showing 70 paintings of French 19th-century art from the Sterling and Francine Clark Art Institute in Williamstown, Massachusetts, USA. Some of the greats of French art are represented, such as Gérôme and Bouguereau (plus Sir Lawrence Alma-Tadema), as well as less academic works by Corot, Théodore Rousseau, J-F. Millet, Sisley and Morisot, before the RA plumbs the depths of Renoir, Manet, Monet, Pissarro and Degas. Shown above is Jean-Léon Gérôme's magnificent The Snake Charmer (c.1879). CLICK for The Telegraph slide show to see a larger graphic. Considering the importance of this collection, the admission price of £10.50 for adults and £8.50 for silver surfers isn't too outlandish. CLICK to read more on the RA website and to book tickets.