The American Art-Union was a subscription-based organization that existed from 1838 until 1853. Known until 1844 as “The Apollo Association for the Promotion of the Fine Arts in the United States,” the association was formed with the goals of championing and supporting living American artists through the purchase and exhibition of their art and by cultivating “good taste in the Fine Arts” in the United States. One benefit of being a subscriber was to receive a “large and costly Original Engraving from an American painting” each year. This gallery contains the 36 prints distributed by the Apollo Association and the American Art-Union to its subscribers between 1840 and 1851. Learn more about the American Art-Union

Gallery of Prints Issued by the Apollo Association and the American Art-Union

 

1840

John Sartain (engraver), after John Blake White (artist), Gen. Marion in his Swamp Encampment Inviting a British Officer to Dinner. Published by the Apollo Association for the Promotion of the Fine Arts in the U.S. No. 1. 1840  [Mezzotint and etching, printed by J. Dalton]. Courtesy of the American Antiquarian Society.

 

1841

John Sartain (engraver) after George H. Comegys (artist). The Artist’s Dream. Engraved from the Original Picture in the Possession of Jno. W. Field Esq. Philada. Published by the Apollo Association for the promotion of the Fine Arts in the United States. No. 2, 1841 [Mezzotint and engraving]. Courtesy of the American Antiquarian Society.

 

1842

S. A. Schoff (engraver) after John Vanderlyn (artist). Caius Marius on the Ruins of Carthage. From Vanderlyns Picture. Published by the Apollo Association exclusively for the members of the year 1842 [Engraving]. Courtesy of the American Antiquarian Society.

 

1843

Alfred Jones (engraver) after William Sydney Mount (artist). Farmers Nooning. From the Original Picture in the Possession of Jona. Sturges Esqr. Published by the Apollo Association, Exclusively for the Members of the Year 1843 [Engraving and etching, printed by James R. Burton]. Courtesy of the Rhode Island School of Design Museum.

 

1844

Alfred Jones (engraver) after Francis William Edmonds (artist). Sparking. From a Painting by F.W. Edmonds in the possession of F.J. Betts Esq. Published by the American Art Union exclusively for the members, 1844 [Engraving, printed by Dalton]. Courtesy of the Library of Congress.

 

J. F. E. Prud’homme (engraver) after Thomas F. Hoppin (artist). Escape of Captain Wharton. From Cooper’s Spy. Etched for the subscribers to the American Art Union for the Year 1844 [Etching, printed by C. Thomas]. Courtesy of the Smithsonian American Art Museum.

1845

Alfred Jones (figures engraver),  Smillie & Hinshelwood (landscape engraver) after Asher B. Durand (artist). The Capture of Major Andre. From a painting by A.B. Durand in the possession of the Honble. James K. Paulding. Published by the American Art Union exclusively for the members, 1845 [Engraving, printed by W. E. Smith]. Courtesy of the American Antiquarian Society.

 

1846

Charles Burt (engraver) after Emanuel Leutze (artist). Sir Walter Raleigh, Parting with his Wife. From the Original Picture in the Possession of David Leavitt Esq. Published by the American Art Union Exclusively for the Members, 1846 [Engraving and etching, printed by J. Dalton]. Courtesy of the Smithsonian American Art Museum.

 

1847

Thomas Doney (engraver) after George Caleb Bingham (artist). The Jolly Flat Boat Men. From the Original painting distributed by the American Art Union in 1847. Published exclusively for the Members of that Year [Engraving with etching and mezzotint, printed by Powell & Co.]. Courtesy of the American Antiquarian Society.

 

John W. Casilear (engraver) after Daniel Huntington (artist). A Sibyl. From the original picture in the possession of the American Art Union published exclusively for the Members for the Year 1847 [Engraving, printed by F. A. Casilear]. Courtesy of the New York Public Library.

 

1848

Charles Burt (engraver) after Daniel Huntington (artist). The Signing of the Death Warrant of Lady Jane Grey. From the original painting distributed by The American Art Union in 1848. Published exclusively for the members of that year [Engraving and etching, printed by J. Dalton]. Courtesy of the American Antiquarian Society.

Illustrations of Rip Van Winkle Designed and Etched by Felix O. C. Darley, for the Members of the American Art-Union. [11 pages with 6 plates; Sarony & Major (printer), Leavitt, Trow & Co. (publisher)]. Courtesy of the American Antiquarian Society.

View the entire book here (American Antiquarian Society)

Plate No. 1 [Rip and his termagant wife]. Courtesy of the New York Public Library.

 

Plate No. 2 [Rip playing with the village children]. Courtesy of the New York Public Library.

 

Plate No. 3 [The schoolmaster reads from an old newspaper to the village sages assembled before the inn]. Courtesy of the American Antiquarian Society.

 

Plate No. 4 [Rip serves liquor to the strange men in the mountains]. Courtesy of the New York Public Library.

 

Plate No. 5 [“He found the house gone to decay”]. Courtesy of the New York Public Library.

 

Plate No. 6. [“He took his place once more on the bench at the inn-door”]. Courtesy of the New York Public Library.

 

1849

James Smillie (engraver) after Thomas Cole (artist). The Voyage of Life — Youth. From the original painting distributed by the American Art-Union. Published exclusively for the members of 1849 [Engraving and etching, printed by J. Dalton]. Courtesy of the American Antiquarian Society.

 

Illustrations of the Legend of Sleepy Hollow: Designed and Etched by Felix O C Darley for the members of the American Art-Union. [16 pages with 6 plates; Sarony & Major (printer), John F. Trow (publisher)]. Courtesy of the American Antiquarian Society.

View the entire book here (American Antiquarian Society)

 

Plate. No. 1 [Ichabod in the schoolhouse]. Courtesy of the New York Public Library.

 

Plate No. 2 [Ichabod swapping ghost stories with the old Dutch wives]. Courtesy of the New York Public Library.

 

Plate No. 3 [Ichabod Crane and Katrina Van Tassel]. Courtesy of the New York Public Library.

Plate No. 4. Courtesy of the American Antiquarian Society.

 

Plate No. 5 [Ichabod shadowed by the headless horseman]. Courtesy of the New York Public Library.

 

Plate No. 6 [Ichabod pursued by the headless horseman]. Courtesy of the New York Public Library.

 

1850

Charles Burt (engraver) after Charles Robert Leslie (artist). Anne Page, Slender and Shallow. A Scene from The Merry Wives of Windsor. Engraved from the Original Picture in the Collection of Philip Hone, Esq. American Art-Union 1850 [Engraving, printed by J. Dalton]. Courtesy of the American Antiquarian Society.

 

Gallery of American Art No. I (Portfolio with 5 plates)

Printed paper wrapper for Gallery of American Art No. 1. Courtesy of the American Antiquarian Society.

 

James Smillie (engraver) after Asher Brown Durand (artist). Dover Plains. Engraved from the original picture in the possession of Daniel Seymour Esqr. American Art Union, 1850 [Engraving and etching, printed by W. E. Smith].  Open Access Image from the Davison Art Center, Wesleyan University (photo: T. Rodriguez).

 

James Smillie (engraver) after Thomas Cole (artist). Dream of Arcadia. From the original picture belonging to the American Art Union, and included in the distribution list, 1850 [Engraving and etching, printed by W. E. Smith].  Open Access Image from the Davison Art Center, Wesleyan University (photo: T. Rodriguez).

 

Alfred Jones (engraver) after Emanuel Leutze (artist). The Image Breaker. Engraved from the Original Picture in the Possession of A. M. Cozzens, Esq. American Art Union, 1850 [Engraving, printed by J. Dalton]. Open Access Image from the Davison Art Center, Wesleyan University (photo: T. Rodriguez).

 

Alfred Jones (engraver) after F. W. Edmonds (artist). The New Scholar. Engraved from the Original Picture in the Possession of Charles Davies, Esq. American Art Union, 1850 [Engraving and etching]. Open Access Image from the Davison Art Center, Wesleyan University (photo: T. Rodriguez).

 

Charles Burt (engraver) after Richard Caton Woodville (artist). The Card Players. Engraved from the Original Picture in the possession of William I. Hoppin, Esq. American Art Union, 1850 [Etching, printed by J. Dalton]. Open Access Image from the Davison Art Center, Wesleyan University (photo: T. Rodriguez).

 

1851

Alfred Jones (engraver) after Richard Caton Woodville (artist). Mexican News. Engraved from the Original Painting, American Art Union, 1851 [Engraving and etching, printed by J. Dalton]. Courtesy of the National Gallery of Art.

 

Gallery of American Art, No. II. For Members of 1851 (Portfolio with 5 plates)

Charles Burt (engraver) after William Sidney Mount (artist). Bargaining for a Horse. Engraved from the original painting in possession of the New York Gallery of the Fine Arts. American Art Union, 1851 [Engraving and etching]. Courtesy of the Princeton University Art Museum.

 

Joseph Pease (engraver) after Richard Caton Woodville (artist). Old ’76 and Young ’48. From the original picture in the possession of the American Art-Union. American Art-Union, 1851 [Engraving and etching, printed by J. Dalton]. Courtesy of the American Antiquarian Society.

 

James Smillie (engraver) after Jasper Cropsey (artist). American Harvesting. Engraved from the original Painting in the possession of the American Art Union, 1851 [Engraving and etching, printed by J. Dalton]. Courtesy of the American Antiquarian Society.

 

James Smillie (engraver) after John Kensett (artist). Mount Washington. From the Valley of Conway. Engraved from the original Painting in possession of the American Art Union, 1851 [Engraving and etching, printed by J. Dalton]. Courtesy of the Library of Congress.

 

Charles Burt (engraver) after William Ranney (artist). Marion Crossing the Pedee. Engraved from the original painting in possession of the American Art-Union, 1851 [Engraving and etching, printed by J. Dalton]. Courtesy of the Library of Congress.