mere toys, may yet want that rare combination of powers which enables an artist to pourtray for a nation the grandest events of its history. Surely such a man would be better employed in painting the many subjects which lie well within his reach, and for which appreciation may be more readily found. The illustration of our own dramatists and poets, for example, presents him with an immense field, in the cultivation of which he will find ample scope for the most earnest and truthful sense of the capabilities of his noble art.

History, indeed, as it has been commonly both written and painted, deals too much with the battle-plain and the council-chamber, and too little with the field and the loom; busies itself in depicting the dazzling exploits of the successful general and the shifty diplomatist, while it almost wholly neglects the peaceful triumphs of the patient inventor and the solitary student, whose unnoticed labours were to change the aspect of all future time. Well may the poet-while regarding the comparatively unenduring results of some even of the most brilliant of those careers which so dazzle and engross the historian-exclaim,

The immediate tendency of societies, such as we are now regarding, is to increase the cultivation of this wide and fruitful field of poetical art, by bringing its productions within the reach of many who have been hitherto altogether debarred from them. They aim at adding to whatever individual patronage may already exist, or be hereafter called into existence, a amount of collective patronage, which but for them would not have existed at all.

That, at the outset, such societies as these will do nothing for the highest branches of art is therefore confessed; to do so is at present no part of their object. But it should be remembered, that at every step of their progress they are helping to prepare the way for the enlightened cultivation even of those highest branches, by exciting and strengthening a love of art which cannot fail to be progressive. That hereafter, when these societies shall have attained the growth and importance which characterize their predecessors in many parts of Europe, they may come to have other duties to perform, directly bearing on the employment of the arts of design for the highest national and social purposes, I, for my own part, distinctly anticipate.

I proceed to retrace, very briefly, the history of these associations, and then to consider their present aspect. About forty years ago M. Hennin, a distinguished amateur of the arts residing in Paris, issued proposals for the formation of a society, having for its object to bring together the unsold works of artists, in order to exhibit them to the public at a moderate admission fee,-the produce of which, together with the subscriptions of the members, were to be applied to the purchase of a selection from those works, made by a committee chosen from amongst the members themselves.

At this time lotteries were strictly forbidden by the French laws. In order, therefore, to the disposal of the works thus purchased, recourse was had to the following plan: the names of all the subscribers having been thrown together promiscuously, lists were formed of them as they appeared, and then divided into hundreds; the first name on each list received in succession the works of highest value; the second names the works next in value; and so on, until all the works purchased were disposed of. By this plan every annual

History of ciations.

these asso

France.

1

subscriber would receive some work of art, sooner or later, supposing the society to continue its operations for an indefinite period. The subscription was fixed at 36 francs yearly; the value of the works purchased extended from 72 francs to 2000, and upwards; the subscribers had a perpetual free admission to the exhibition; and a periodical conversazione was formed, chiefly for the purpose of promoting friendly intercourse between artists and amateurs.*

The plan led to much good, although, as may readily be imagined, there were many difficulties to be surmounted. The sanction and assistance of the then minister of the interior, François de Neufchâtel, was obtained, and a committee chosen, composed of artists and amateurs in equal proportion. Eventually this society merged into the existing institution, known as the "Société des amis des arts," of Paris.

This society received its present constitution in 1816. Within twenty years from that period it had purchased, directly from the artist, and more especially from the young artist-rich in talent, but poor in friends-more than 1200 works of art, including pictures, drawings, marbles, and bronzes, with the outlay of more than £22,000 sterling. Among the artists who thus received a wise and liberal encouragement in their season of comparative obscurity, are to be numbered Xavier Leprince, Gudin, Bonnington, Eugène Isabey, Revoux, Hubert, Coignet, and many others who have since achieved fame. In addition to these purchases, and within the same period, this society caused 28 pictures to be engraved, exclusively for its members, at a cost of about £9,000. Many of these plates possess merit

* See "Etablissement pour assurer aux artistes le prix de leurs travaux." 8vo, Paris, an. 7, (1799.)

of a very high order, and not a few of them are remarkable as the first earnest of enduring reputations; among these the works of Laugier and of Prevost deserve especial notice.

The annual subscription to this society is 50 francs, and the works of art are purchased by a committee elected from amongst the subscribers. There are similar societies in many of the provincial cities and towns of France; that of Rouen, in particular, has been exceedingly prosperous.

of Berlin.

In most of the German States associations of this Germany. kind have been established still more extensively than in France, and generally under the denomination either of Kunst-Verein (Art-Union), or of Verein der Kunstfreunde (Association of the Friends of Art.) The plan of these societies is often very comprehensive, and in this respect resembles the original scheme of M. Hennin. The "Verein der Kunstfreunde im Preussischen Art-Union Staate" was founded in 1825. The usual subscription to it is 5 Rixthalers, or about fifteen shillings sterling. In 1836 it numbered 2119 subscribers, subscribing 12,335k, or about £1850 sterling. In this, and in most of the similar societies of Germany, the management of its affairs is confided to a committee composed, in nearly equal proportions, of artists and amateurs. In Berlin there is besides, a special committee formed exclusively of artists, to which are entrusted all purchases and other business purely artistical. In Munich this special committee is composed of four artists and of seven amateurs; while the general committee consists of artists and amateurs in equal number; and such a division appears to be the more general practice throughout Germany.

In addition to the purchase from artists of works already executed, the Art-Union of Berlin gives com

1

Art-Union of Munich.

of the

Rhine-pro

missions and offers prizes for competition. In every case the artists employed must be Prussians, either by birth or by naturalization. At the outset, while its funds were very limited, this society confined its patronage to artists visiting Italy for the completion of their studies, thinking it of great importance "to provide the artist during his period of study, and in the country which affords him the best facilities for improvement, with employment of a purely artistical character."*

The Art-Union of Munich occupies a field which, in some respects, is still more extensive. In addition to the purchase of works of art for appropriation by lot, and an annual engraving for its members, its plan includes a series of conversazioni for promoting the intercourse between artists and amateurs; the formation of a collection of drawings, and of a collection of journals and other publications concerning art; and a permanent exhibition of the works of living artists. All these objects appear to have been pursued with success.

The commission and purchase of pictures for public purposes-and especially as altar-pieces for churches Art-Union forms a prominent feature in the plan of the ArtUnion of the Rhine-provinces and Westphalia, (Kunstvinces, &c. Verein für die Rheinlande und Westphalen.) Within ten years of its establishment (in 1829) it had presented either to churches or to museums, works by Overbeck, Bendemann, W. Schadow, Götting, Deger, Zimmermann, Müche, Meister, Settegast, Hübner, and Stielcke.† Several of these works are amongst the pictures which have been engraved for the subscribers,-the number of whom for the year 1838 amounted to 3420, subscribing £2565 sterling. The amount devoted in that

* See Statut für den Verein, etc., 1832. § 5. + See list in Appendix.