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5 translated pages

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364                              LOUIS XVI.

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DECLARATION in favour of the royal academy of
painting & sculpture.

Versailles, 15 March 1777, Reg[istered] at the Parl[ement] the 2nd September (R. S. Rec. Lorr.)

      Louis, etc.      The arts of painting & sculpture, which form part of
the liberal arts, have been destined always among

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March 1777                              365
enlightened people, to contribute to the glory of the nation by
monuments that perpetuate the memory of virtuous actions,
useful works & celebrated men: these same arts contributed
in addition to the advantage as well as to the perfection of most
of the industrial arts, and extend and make prosper several
branches of trade. It is for these reasons that, transported
from Italy to France by Francis I, they have since been cherished,
and made a particular object of protection by most of the
kings, our predecessors, & especially Louis XIV & Louis XV,
our highly honoured lord & grandfather of glorious memory.
As a consequence of this protection & of the encouragement
they have received, these noble arts have increasingly perfected
themselves, and have spread throughout our kingdom; they
have produced a very great number of monuments & works
which attest to their progress, and have served to embellish
our capital, our principal towns & our royal houses. These
advantages should have assured painting and sculpture a
particular distinction, and should have permitted those who
exercise them to enjoy the same rights that those who make
a profession of the liberal arts enjoy; which is why in our
edict of the month of August last by which we created anew
the corporations of arts and trade, we already made known
that the arts of painting and sculpture are not to be confused
with the mechanical arts, & we gave them back that
freedom which they should always have enjoyed.
Nevertheless, the concern we have for everything that can
encourage or do honour to such worthy and useful arts,
as well as anything that can contribute to the prosperity of
our peoples, has made us judge worthy of our attention
to express more clearly our will on this subject, & to
grant these arts particular distinctions and encouragements
likely to lead them to their fulfilment and perfection.
Wanting thus especially to protect those of our
subjects who cultivate & will cultivate the said arts
of painting and sculpture as liberal arts and to bring
them to renewed efforts to merit favours by the
honourable employment of their talents, we

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366                              LOUIS XVI.
have judged it appropriate to establish in this declaration all
our views on this subject, & to give the most useful shape
to our Royal Academy of Painting and Sculpture.
      For these reasons, etc.
      I. The arts of painting and sculpture are and will continue
to be free, as much in our good city of Paris as throughout the
rest of our kingdom, whenever they are exercised in an
entirely liberal manner, as will be explained in the following
two articles. Desiring in this respect that they should be
perfectly analogous to Literature, the Sciences & other
liberal arts, especially architecture; in such a manner that
those wishing the above said arts of this kind should not,
under any pretext, be troubled or bothered by any
corporation or guild.

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March 1777                              367

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      8. The aim that artists of our Royal Academy must set
themselves being the reputation and honour garnered by
excellent works, we have judged it pertinent, in order to
prevent the injury [tort] they would suffer if works that are

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368                              LOUIS XVI.
not [excellent] were to appear attributed to their name, or if those works which
are, were disfigured without their knowledge, to renew the prohibitions made, on
this subject, to all printmakers and the like to publish any print [estampe] under the
name of any member of the said Academy without his/her consent, or failing that,
that of the Academy, likewise all printmakers are also forbidden to copy or pirate
the works of the engravers of the said Academy, and to sell pirated copies of
whatever kind and on whatever pretext, on pain against each of the contraveners
of the relevant fine, and of confiscation not only of the pirated impressions but
also of the engraved copper-plates and other tools used to counterfeit and print
them, as well as all costs, damages and interest, equally, and under pain of the
same punishment, we very expressly prohibit and forbid all sculptors of whatever
kind or status, and under whatever possible circumstances, to cast, put on sale or
give to the public any one of the works of the sculptors of our Royal Academy of
Painting and Sculpture, or copies of them, without the permission of the author, or
failing that, the permission of the Academy.

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Translation by: Katie Scott (pp.1-5)