American Art-Union - Downfall

Downfall

The lottery, although a creative and extremely popular incentive, was problematic by its nature, and was part of the AA-U's demise. Members would not buy their subscriptions until the collection had art ‘worth winning,’ but the AA-U could not purchase the art without the funds from the subscriptions. It led to what was described, in the final report from the Independent Committee of Investigation as, "accounts were kept and managed in a loose and unsatisfactory manner". Contributing to this conclusion, was a five per cent building fund, that was considered to have impaired the liquidity of the AAU. However, the personal fortunes of the individuals involved in the organization would belie that suggestion. The lack of consistency in the quality of the engravings and the prints sent to the subscribers was an issue as was the delinquent mailing of the prints, as late as twelve months. The concept of “amateur merchant” as the appropriate guardian of the American Art-Union is ironic. Certainly, they were cavalier in their tone and bearing, which would have inspired the ire of some. Competition, is seems, did create some doubt within the organization.

The only art union with which the AAU did not maintain friendly relations was the International Art-Union. One artist, Thomas Whitley, whose work was not accepted, expressed his complaints to the New York Herald. James Gordan Bennett, editor, printed his complaints and those of others. He had his own complaints about the new-comer newspaper, The New York Times, with whom the AAU was working closely. A discounted rate of a penny a copy, as opposed to two-penny, didn’t make the other newspapers happy either. A protracted public discourse over the course of two years along with unfair business practices and the New York Assembly's investigation into gaming practices piled on the negative discourse regarding the American Art-Union. Their reputation suffered as did their egos.

It has been suggested that hubris was the AAU's downfall. This may well be bourne out as all of the art in their collection was sold at the final auction on December 15–17, 1852. Although the American Art-Union was the brunt of ‘high brow’ art and artists of the day, it was their choices that informed a keen new audience of art aficionados. As the country endeavored to define whom it was at mid-century, so did the American Art-Union codify and define what the Art of America was to be—it was proud, defiant, confident and quintessentially American. These character qualities were required in the landscapes, the genre painting and the historical imagery if they were to be chosen by the AAU. Artists, like Leutze, would paint “Westward the Course of Empire Takes its Way” to emphasize the vastness of possibilities in the American future and paint “Washington Crossing the Delaware”(to inspire the reformers in Europe). George Caleb Bingham would reflect the tension of the unknown and the excitement of the West in, “The Concealed Enemy”(1845) as well as the independent and optimistic spirit in his “The Jolly Flatboatmen”(1846). And, Thomas Cole's “Arcadia” and “Youth” would lend a comforting, moralizing tone to the landscapes that inspired two generations of artists.

History would support the American Art-Union's choices. Many of the paintings are hanging in the Halls of Congress, within the White House, in the Metropolitan and the Boston Museum of Art. In the New York Times article, "Memorial of the Committee of Management", the President of the American Art-Union reported that “the Memorialists felt deeply injured...the extensive circulation of engraved copies... of American genius, thus affording the surest means for educating the public taste...thus keeping alive and extending a knowledge of the progress and condition of the arts". This was their goal and would be their legacy.