The Royal Academy Exhibition of 1855 was the eighty seventh annual Summer Exhibition of the British Royal Academy of Arts. It was held at the National Gallery in London between 7 May and 28 July 1855. Showcasing submissions from artists and architects of the Victorian era, it took place amidst the ongoing Crimean War. Critics generally considered the year's submissions to be an overall disappointment, including the absence of several established painters. Works that did attract praise included Cimabue's Celebrated Madonna by Frederic Leighton and The Rescue by John Everett Millais. Augustus Egg's The Life and Death of Buckingham also attracted notice, featuring two paintings based on the Restoration rake and politician the Duke of Buckingham.
Amongst other works on display were Frederick Richard Pickersgill's Britomart Unarming. George Jones exhibited depictions of the recent Battle of the Alma and Battle of Balaclava during the Crimean conflict. Francis Grant displayed his usual series of portraits including John Gibson Lockhart. His Portrait of Edwin Landseer depicted his fellow artist Edwin Landseer. William Powell Frith and other members of The Clique submitted a series of works with John Phillip's Spanish-set El Paseo commissioned by Queen Victoria.
The landscape and maritime painting tradition was carried on by figures such as Thomas Creswick, Edward William Cooke and William Havell. Clarkson Stanfield displayed The Siege of San Sebastian.
<Gallery Mode="packed" Heights="200"> File:John Everett Millais - The rescue - Google Art Project.jpg|The Rescue by John Everett Millais File:1855 Frederic Leighton - Cimabue-s celebrated Madonna.jpg|Cimabue's Celebrated Madonna by Frederic Leighton File:Augustus Leopold Egg - The Life of Buckingham - Google Art Project.jpg|The Life of Buckingham by Augustus Egg File:Augustus Leopold Egg - The Death of Buckingham - Google Art Project.jpg|The Death of Buckingham by Augustus Egg File:Edward William Cooke (1811-1880) - A North Sea Breeze on the Dutch Coast - BHC1246 - Royal Museums Greenwich.jpg|A North Sea Breeze on the Dutch Coast by Edward William Cooke File:William Powell Frith - The Lovers.jpg|The Lovers by William Powell Frith File:William Powell Frith (1819-1909) - At the Opera - PRSMG , P240 - Harris Museum.jpg|At the Opera by William Powell Frith File:John Phillip (1817-67) - "El Paseo" - RCIN 404597 - Royal Collection.jpg|El Paseo by John Phillip File:Collecting the Offering in a Scottish Kirk by John Phillip YORAG 384.jpg|Collecting the Offering in a Scottish Kirk by John Phillip File:Katherine and Petruchio Robert Braithwaite Martineau (1826âÂÂ1869) The Ashmolean Museum of Art and Archaeology.jpg|Katherine and Petruchio by Robert Braithwaite Martineau File:Daniel Maclise - The Wrestling Scene in As You Like It.jpg|The Wrestling Scene in As You Like It by Daniel Maclise File:Charles West Cope (1811-1890) - The Royal Prisoners - P.1986.2082 - Carisbrooke Castle.jpg|The Royal Prisoners at Carisbrooke Castle by Charles West Cope File:Charles West Cope (1811-1890) - Il penseroso - FA.59(O) - Victoria and Albert Museum.jpg|Il Penseroso by Charles West Cope File:Sylvan Spring (Redgrave).png|The Sylvan Spring by Richard Redgrave File:George Jones (1786-1869) - The Conflict at the Guns, Balaclava - 1885P2524 - Birmingham Museums Trust.jpg|The Conflict at the Guns, Balaclava by George Jones File:George Jones (1786-1869) - The Battle of the Alma - WA1873.17 - Ashmolean Museum.jpg|The Battle of the Alma by George Jones File:An Armenian Lady in Cairo.jpg|An Armenian Lady in Cairo by John Frederick Lewis File:William Dyce (1806-1864) - Christabel - 3221 - Kelvingrove Art Gallery and Museum.jpg|Christabel by William Dyce File:Philip Hermogenes Calderon - "Lord, Thy Will Be Done" - Google Art Project.jpg|Lord, Thy Will Be Done by Philip Hermogenes Calderon File:Collinson James Temptation.jpg|Temptation by James Collinson File:Dead Calm - Sunset at the Bight of Exmouth - Francis Danby - 306-1976.jpg|Sunset at the Bight of Exmouth by Francis Danby File:William Havell (1782-1857) - Fern Cutting at Keswick, Cumbria - REDMG , 1980.188.1 - Reading Museum.jpg|Fern Cutting at Keswick, Cumbria by William Havell File:David Roberts (1796-1864) - Rome, Sunset from the Convent of Sant' Onofrio on the Janiculum - NG 304 - National Galleries of Scotland.jpg|Rome, Sunset from the Convent of Sant' Onofrio on the Janiculum by David Roberts File:Thomas Jones Barker, The Charger of Captain Nolan Bearing Back his Dead Master to the British Lines, 1855, National Gallery of Ireland.tif|The Charger of Captain Nolan Bearing Back his Dead Master to the British Lines by Thomas Jones Barker File:Edward Lear (1812-1888) - The Temple of Apollo at Bassae - 460* - Fitzwilliam Museum.jpg|The Temple of Apollo at Bassae by Edward Lear File:James Ward (1769-1859) - The Morning Grey - 03-1336 - Royal Academy of Arts.jpg|The Morning Grey by James Ward File:William Charles Thomas Dobson (1817-98) - The Almsdeeds of Dorcas - RCIN 403875 - Royal Collection.jpg|The Almsdeeds of Dorcas by William Charles Thomas Dobson File:Charles Allston Collins (1828-1873) - The Good Harvest of 1854 - 1394-1869 - Victoria and Albert Museum.jpg|The Good Harvest of 1854 by Charles Allston Collins File:John William Inchbold (1830-1888) - The Moorland (Dewar-stone, Dartmoor) - N01477 - National Gallery.jpg|The Moorland by John William Inchbold File:Othello and Iago (Hart).png|Othello and Iago by Solomon Hart File:Thomas Faed (1825-1900) - The Mitherless Bairn - FA000053 - Brighton Museum ^ Art Gallery.jpg|The Mitherless Bairn by Thomas Faed File:Francis Grant (1803-1878) - John Gibson Lockhart (1794âÂÂ1854), Son-in-Law and Biographer of Scott - PG 1588 - National Galleries of Scotland.jpg|Portrait of John Gibson Lockhart by Francis Grant File:Francis Grant (1803-1878) - Edward Hawkins, DD, Provost (1828âÂÂ1882) - 6 - Oriel College.jpg|Edward Hawkins by Francis Grant File:Spencer-churchills.jpg|Lord Almeric Athelstan Spencer-Churchill and Lady Clementina Spencer-Churchill by James Sant File:John Watson Gordon (1788-1864) - James Abercromby (1776âÂÂ1858), 1st Baron Dunfermline, Speaker of the House of Commons - PG 990 - National Galleries of Scotland.jpg|Lord Dunfermline by John Watson Gordon File:WilliamMolesworth.jpg|Sir William Molesworth by John Watson Gordon File:Sir Robert McClure by Stephen Pearce.jpg|Robert McClure by Stephen Pearce File:Stephen Pearce (1819-1904) - Edward Sabine (1788âÂÂ1883) - RS.9683 - Royal Society.jpg|Edward Sabine by Stephen Pearce File:Edward Matthew Ward (1816-1879) (copy after) - Lieutenant-General Sir John Bennet Hearsey (1793âÂÂ1865), 2nd (Bengal) Irregular Cavalry (GardnerâÂÂs Horse) - NAM. 1984-11-227 - National Army Museum.jpg|John Bennet Hearsey by Edward Matthew Ward File:George Richmond (1809-1896) - George Augustus Selwyn (1809âÂÂ1878), DD, Bishop of New Zealand and of Lichfield - 21 - Selwyn College.jpg|George Selwyn by George Richmond File:John Lucas (1807-1874) - Richard Barrow (1787âÂÂ1865), Owner of Staveley Coal ^ Iron Co. (1840âÂÂ1864), Chairman (1864âÂÂ1865) - 4435-60 - Chesterfield Museum and Art Gallery.jpg|Richard Barrow by John Lucas File:Henry William Pickersgill (1782-1875) - George Leith Roupell (1797âÂÂ1854), Senior Physician at St Bartholomew's Hospital - SBHX7-32 - Barts Health Archives.jpg|George Leith Roupell by Henry William Pickersgill File:Llewelyn Llewellin.png|Llewelyn Llewellin by Henry William Pickersgill File:John Phillip (1817-1867) - Sir John Bent (1793âÂÂ1857) - WAG 7506 - Walker Art Gallery.jpg|John Bent by John Phillip File:John Prescott Knight (1803-1881) - Thomas Carter (1776âÂÂ1868) - FDA-P.179-2010 - Eton College.jpg|Thomas Carter by John Prescott Knight File:George Richmond (1809-1896) - Sir Robert Harry Inglis (1786âÂÂ1855) - PCFA105 - Examination Schools.jpg|Robert Inglis by George Richmond File:William Boxall (1800-1879) - Vincent William Ryan (1816âÂÂ1888), DD, Bishop of Mauritius (1854), Archdeacon of Suffolk (1868), Assistant Bishop of Ripon (1870) - PCF19 - Hertford College.jpg|Vincent Ryan by William Boxall File:William Boxall Portrait of Jane Fortescue Seymour.png|Portrait or Mrs Coleridge by William Boxall </gallery>