Art Union Prints at AAS
James Herring of New York formed the Apollo Association in 1839 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 Apollo Association evolved into the
American Art Union. Later, other similar organizations were
formed in Cincinnati, Philadelphia, Boston, and Newark
The following is a list of prints published by several organizations
including the
Apollo Association and American Art Union, the Cosmopolitan Art
Association,
and the Crosby Opera House Art Association.
APOLLO ASSOCIATION AND AMERICAN ART UNION
Gen. Marion in his Swamp Encampment Inviting a British
Officer to Dinner. Painted by
John B. White, Engraved by John
Sartain. New York: Apollo Association,
1840. 42.2 x 52.9 cm.
Caius Marius on the Ruins of Carthage. Painted by
John Vanderlyn, Engraved by S. A. Schoff.
New York: Apollo Association, 1842.
33.7 x 25 cm.
Farmers Nooning. Painted
by W. S. Mount, Engraved by Alfred Jones.
New York: Apollo Association, 1843. 32.4 x 40.7 cm.
Sparking.
Painted by F. W. Edmonds, Engraved by Alfred
Jones. New York: American Art Union,
1844. 33 x 43cm.
Escape of Captain Wharton.
Drawn by T. F. Hoppin, Engraved by J. F. E. Prudhommne.
New York: American Art Union, 1844.
25.5 x 31.2 cm.
The Capture of Major Andre.
Painted by Asher B. Durand, Figures engraved by Alfred Johns,
Landscape engraved by Smillie and Hinshelwood.
New York: Geo. S. Appleton for the American Art Union, 1846.
33.5 x 45.5 cm.
Sir Walter Raleigh, Parting with his Wife.
Painted by E. Leutze, Engraved by
Charles Burt. New York: American Art
Union, 1846. 50.6 x 38.2 cm.
Etching of The Jolly Flat-Boat Men.
Painted by G. C. Bingham.
New York: American Art Union, 1847. 11.4 x
14.5 cm.
The Jolly Flat Boat Men.
Painted by G. C. Bingham, Engraved by T. Doney.
New York: American Art Union, 1847.
47.5 x 60.9 cm.
The Signing of the Death Warrant of Lady Jane Grey.
Painted by Daniel Huntington, Engraved by
Charles Burt. New York: American Art
Union, 1848. 43.5 x 55 cm.
Illustrations of Rip Van Winkle. Illustrated by
F.O.C. Darley. New York: Published by
the American Art Union, 1848. 2 copies.
The Voyage of Life Youth.
Painted by Thomas Cole, Engraved by James Smillie.
New York: American Art Union, 1849.
38.5 x 58 cm.
Etching of Youth from the original painting by Thos.
Cole. For the subscribers of the
year 1849. New York: American Art
Union, 1848. 10.7 x 16.3 cm.
Illustrations of the Legend of Sleepy Hollow.
Illustrated by F.O.C. Darley.
New York: American Art Union, 1849. 2 sets.
Dream of Arcadia. Painted by Thomas Cole, Engraved by
James Smillie. New York: American Art
Union, 1850. 17 x 26.8 cm.
Voyage of Life Manhood. Painted by Thomas Cole, Drawn
by M. Ensing Muller, Etched by R. Hinshelwood. Published by the American
Art
Union, October 1850. 13.9 x 20.5 cm.
Voyage of Life Childhood. Painted by Thomas Cole,
Drawn by M. Sing Miller, Etched by R. Hinshelwood.
Published by the American Art Union, November 1850.
13.5 x 21 cm.
Voyage of Life Old Age.
Painted by Thomas Cole, Drawn by M. Sing Miller, Etched by R.
Hinshelwood, November 1850. 14 x 20.8
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.
The Image Breaker.
Painted by E. Leutze,
Engraved by Alfred Jones. New York:
American Art Union, 1850. 23.4 x 19.9
cm.
American Harvesting.
Painted by Jasper F. Cropsey, Engraved by James Smillie.
New York: American Art Union, 1851.
17.5 x 26.3 cm.
Anne Page, Slender and Shallow. Painted by
C. R. Leslie; Engraved by
Charles S. Burt. New York: American Art Union, 1851. 41 x 51.4 cm.
Marion Crossing the Pedee.
Painted by W. Ranney,
Engraved by C. Burt. New York: American
Art Union, 1851. 20 x 30.1 cm.
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.
Etching of the large Engraving of Mexican News. Painted
by R. C. Woodville, Engraved by Alfred Jones.
One of six plates for 1851. 17.2 x 15.7 cm.
Mexican War News. Painted by R. C. Woodville,
Engraved by Alfred Jones. New York:
American Art Union, 1851. 52.2 x 47 cm.
Bargaining for a Horse.
Painted by W. S. Mount, Engraved by C. Burt. New York: American Art
Union, 1851.
Patrick Henry Delivering His Celebrated Speech in the
House of Burgesses, Virginia, A.D. 1765. Painted by P. F. Rothermel,
Engraved by Alfred Jones. New York:
American Art Union, 1852. 57 x 44.8 cm.
COSMOPOLITAN ART ASSOCIATION
The Cosmopolitan Art Association was founded in 1854 to "encourage
and popularize the Fine Arts, and disseminate wholesome literature
throughout the country." Started by the book and periodical publisher
Chauncey Lyman Derby in Sandusky, Ohio, the organization moved to New York
and established a presence on Broadway. For an annual payment of three
dollars, the Association offered its members a year's subscription to a
popular periodical of their choice (including such titles as Godey's
Lady's Book, Harper's Weekly, and Graham's Magazine), or a copy
of a large format engraving published by the society. In addition,
subscribers received a ticket for a chance to win a work of art in the
Association's annual art lottery.
During the seven years of its existence, the Association issued five
large format engravings for its membership, which at its peak in 1857
numbered 38,000. The engravings were printed in large runs (often over
8,000), and were intended to appeal to broad audiences.
Saturday Night. Engraved by Henry Lemon (British, in U.S.,
1822-1902), after a painting by Thomas Faed (Scottish, 1826-1900).
[Sandusky, Ohio & New York]: Cosmopolitan Art Association, c.1854. 48
x 60.8 cm.
Manifest Destiny, or the Favor of Fortune. Engraved by
Frederick Bacon (1803-1887), after a painting by Abraham Solomon
(1824-1864). New York: Cosmopolitan Art Association, 1857-1858. 60.7 x
46.2 cm.
Village Blacksmith. Engraved by G.
Patterson and retouched by
John Rogers (c. 1808-c. 1888), after a painting by John Frederick Herring
(British, c.1820-1907). New York: Cosmopolitan Art Association, 1858-1859,
for the 5th year.
Shakespeare and His Friends. Engraved by James Faed (Scottish,
1821-1911), after a painting by John Faed, R.S.A. (Scottish, 1819-1902).
New York: Cosmopolitan Art Association, 1859-1860, for the 6th year. 36.5
x 70.3 cm.
Falstaff Mustering His Recruits. Engraved by John Rogers (c.
1808-c. 1888), after a painting by Adolf Schrödter (German, 1805-1875).
New York: Cosmopolitan Art Association, 1860-1861, for the 7th year. 53.0
x 67.8 cm.
Membership Certificate from Cosmopolitan Art Association,
New York, 1854. 9 x 20.3 cm.
CROSBY OPERA HOUSE ART ASSOCIATION
The Crosby Opera House Art Association
(est. 1865 -1867) was formed on the art union model with the sole purpose of
raising funds through a lottery to defray the cost of building an opera house
in Chicago. Uranus H. Crosby, who had made his fortune as a distiller, had begun
construction on the opera house during the Civil War and claimed losses of $600,000
on the project. He needed to raise cash in order to allow the Opera House to
open. The Association was formed and the lottery was planned. The Opera House
itself was the first prize in the lottery. Many American and European paintings,
some from Crosby's own art collection, were also used as prizes. Each person
who purchased a lottery ticket for $5.00 was also given a pictorial print published
by the Association as a bonus. Many thousands of each of the five engravings
and one lithograph listed below were printed and distributed to ticket purchasers
between 1865 and early 1867.
The lottery drawing caused quite
a stir in Chicago when it was held in January of 1867, with hopeful participants
pouring into the city to see if they would win a painting or the Opera House.
People bought chances right up until the last possible moment and many, many
prints were distributed. The Chicago Republican reported on January 19,
1867, that it was "very noticeable on the street yesterday, that nearly
everyone met had in his or her hands a long roll of blue, white or red paper
-- an infallible proof that they had courted the fickle goddess, and bourne
off in triumph at least a beautiful engraving. . .." It is estimated that
210,000 chances were sold and that a comparable number of engravings and lithographs
were also given away.
Apple Gathering. Painted
by Jerome Thompson (1814-1886), engraved by A. H. Ritchie (1822-1895). [New
York]: Crosby Opera House Art Association, 1866. 45 x 69.5 cm. American Antiquarian
Society.
The Little Wanderer. Painted
by Thomas Faed (Scottish, 1826-1900), engraved by Christian W. Rost (1823-1896).
[New York]: Crosby Opera House Art Association, 1866. 41.7 x 58.0 cm. American
Antiquarian Society.
Westward Ho! Painted by James H. Beard (1811-18983), engraved by T. Dwight
Booth (19th cent.). [New York]: Crosby Opera House Art Association, 1866. 57.5
x 76 cm. American Antiquarian Society.
Washington Irving and his [Literary] Friends at Sunnyside. Painted by Christian Schussele (c.1826-1879) after a sketch
by F.O.C. Darley (1822-1888), engraver not identified in the literature. Copy
unlocated.
Mercy's Dream Painted by Daniel Huntington (1816-1906), engraver not identified
in the literature. Copy unlocated.
American Autumn, Starucca Valley, Erie R. Road.
Painted by Jasper Cropsey (1823-1900), chromolithograph by Thomas Sinclair (c.1805-1881), William Dreser, chromist (b. 1820). Philadelphia: Thomas Sinclair, c. 1865-66.
39.4 x 67.7 cm. American Antiquarian Society, copy trimmed.
Bibliographical references:
Jay Cantor, Prints and the American Art-Union, in Prints
in and of America to 1850 (Winterthur, The Henry Francis du Pont
Winterthur
Museum, 1970).
Mary Bartlett Cowdrey, American Academy of Fine Arts and
American Art-Union (New York: New-York Historical Society, 1953.
Maybelle Mann, The American Art-Union (Jupiter,
Florida, 1977 and 1987).
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