Richard Dadd: Beyond Bedlam at the Royal Academy of Arts

This summer, the Royal Academy of Arts presents Richard Dadd: Beyond Bedlam, a major retrospective dedicated to Richard Dadd. Opening on 25 July 2026, the exhibition marks the first large-scale survey of the artist’s work in over fifty years.

Bringing together approximately 100 works, including oil paintings, watercolours and drawings, the exhibition traces Dadd’s artistic development through the key phases of his life. Organised chronologically, it examines his early training in London, his travels across the Eastern Mediterranean, and the substantial body of work produced during his long confinement in psychiatric institutions.

Dadd first gained recognition while studying at the Royal Academy Schools in the late 1830s. His early works, including Titania Sleeping (1841), Puck (1841), and Scene from Hamlet (1840), demonstrate a highly developed attention to detail and an early engagement with literary and theatrical subjects, particularly those drawn from Shakespeare.

In 1842, Dadd joined an expedition to the Eastern Mediterranean, a journey that had a lasting impact on his artistic direction. Sketchbooks and watercolours produced during this period reflect a precise observational approach to landscape, architecture and figure studies. However, the journey also coincided with the onset of severe mental illness. Following his return to England, Dadd committed the हत्या of his father under delusional beliefs, after which he fled to France and was subsequently detained.

The exhibition dedicates significant attention to the works produced during Dadd’s confinement at Bethlem Hospital in London and later at Broadmoor. Over four decades, he continued to work extensively, drawing on memory, imagination and earlier sketches. Paintings such as Contradiction. Oberon and Titania (1854–58) and The Fairy Feller’s Master-Stroke (1855–64), now in the collection of Tate, exemplify his intricate technique and highly detailed compositional approach.

Alongside these major works, the exhibition includes portraits, imagined landscapes and designs produced within the hospital environment, offering insight into both his artistic continuity and adaptation to institutional life. His work from this period reflects a sustained engagement with literary, mythological and imaginative subjects.

Dadd’s influence has extended beyond the visual arts, informing the work of contemporary artists and writers, and notably inspiring the song The Fairy Feller’s Master-Stroke by Queen.

Curated by Nicholas Tromans, with Associate Curator Sylvie Broussine, the exhibition is supported by key institutional loans, including works from the Tate, the Victoria and Albert Museum, and the Yale Center for British Art.

Richard Dadd: Beyond Bedlam runs from 25 July to 25 October 2026. The exhibition is accompanied by a fully illustrated catalogue featuring contributions from leading scholars.

Visitor Information
Dates: 25 July to 25 October 2026
Opening hours: Tuesday to Sunday, 10am to 6pm, with late opening until 9pm on Fridays
Admission: from £15, with concessions available. Under 16s and Friends of the Royal Academy enter free. Reduced tickets are available for visitors aged 16 to 25.

Advance booking is recommended.