Kelly was made a Royal Academician in 1930. Oddly to us now, he was initially seen as a ‘new broom’ modernising influence on the Hanging Committee, with Munnings. In 1931 Kelly exercised his right as an RA to exhibit fully six paintings, including one of his wife Jane, of whom he exhibited over fifty paintings during his career, and this nude. The Birmingham Daily Gazette commented: ‘Kelly’s latest “Jane” is not the most charming of the long series – she looks rather weary of sitting, in fact – but his nude “Loretta” is admirably painted.’