Richard Dadd: beyond Bedlam

Exhibition at the Royal Academy of Arts, London, 25 July – 25 October 2026

Richard Dadd (1817–1886) created fantastical worlds and other highly original works of art. After making a name for himself as a student at the Royal Academy in the late 1830s, he travelled to the eastern Mediterranean, where he developed a psychotic illness that led him to kill his father. Dadd spent the rest of his life at the Bethlem Royal Hospital in London, and later at Broadmoor Hospital in Berkshire, where he was encouraged to paint.

Dadd’s work extends far beyond the fairy-tale paintings for which he is best known. It also includes highly detailed sketches depicting his travels in the eastern Mediterranean, remarkable depictions of human passions, and insightful portraits of his doctors.

Richly illustrated, this exhibition catalogue devoted to the life and art of the British artist re-examines the legacy of one of the most fascinating figures in Victorian visual art.