American Art Union Member prints for 1850 & 1851.
SOLD
Book Id: 8480
Description
American Art Union Member prints for 1850 & 1851. A total of 10 engravings, images approx. 10 1/2 x 9", with wide margins. Assembled in an untitled half red oblong morocco album. The American Art Union formed from the Apollo Association, and their goal was to promote the fine arts by exhibitions and the reproduction of paintings. This concept had originated in Germany and spread to Great Britain and to the United States. The Art Union flourished to an organization of 19,000 members, with an annual lottery for oil paintings. A critical blow to them came in 1852 when the New York State Supreme Court found the yearly lottery of artworks to be illegal. The AAU was forced to dissolve, and in 1852 held an auction to sell off the paintings and sculptures in their collection. In 1863, those that went unsold, as well as the records of the organization, were given to the New-York Historical Society, many members of which had also been AAU subscribers. Of the many prints & duplicates in the possession of the New York Historical Society, they note that they do not have 3, one of which is in this volume "Dover Plains". Prints in this folio: Dream of Arcadia. Painted by Thomas Cole, Engraved by James Smillie. New York: American Art Union, 1850. 17 x 26.8 cm. The Image Breaker. Painted by E. Leutze, Engraved by Alfred Jones. New York: American Art Union, 1850. 23.4 x 19.9 cm. Dover Plains. Painted by Asher B. Durand, Engraved by James Smillie. New York: American Art Union, 1850. 17.5 x 26.5 cm. The New Scholar. Painted by F. W. Edmonds, Engraved by Alfred Jones. New York: American Art Union, 1850. 19 x 23.7 cm. The Card Players. Painted by R. C. Woodville, Engraved by Charles Burt. New York: American Art Union, 1850. 18.5 x 25.3 cm. Mount Washington from the Valley of Conway, after John F. Kensett,engraved by James Smillie, printed by J. Dalton 1851 Old 76 and Young 46. Painted by R. C. Woodville, Engraved by J. Pease. New York: American Art Union, 1851. 18.8 x 24.4 cm. Bargaining for a Horse. Painted by W. S. Mount, Engraved by C. Burt. New York: American Art Union, 1851. American Harvesting. After Jasper F. Cropsey, engraved by James Smillie, printed by J. Dalton 1851Marion Crossing the Pedee. Painted by W. Ranney, Engraved by C. Burt. New York: American Art Union, 1851. 20 x 30.1 cm.
