Royal Academy schools show

We literally stumbled on the Royal Academy Schools final show. We were approaching from the rear of the building, and saw a sign at the end of a lane. Entering the building from the back door, the first room was this one -

which may look familiar if you've seen paintings or prints like this one by Rowlandson, showing the room in use 200 years ago -The casts have probably been around that long -
Elsewhere, the old building had received a fresh coat of paint for the event -
The floor must have a zillion layers of paint by now -
Painting studios need skylights, north facing of course -
In one exhibition space, some strange pipework and a floor that was covered in interlocking areas of fabric stretched around boards -
Crisp boundaries between new and old -
Here and there, special holes giving access to venerable light switches -
Along the corridors, more casts and ancient bookcases -
Central to any school is the admin office -
... but rare this the school that has this many skeletons in its cupboard -And last, a venerable stair giving access to the Royal Academy itself, behind an otherwise-closed door under the grand staircase -