3.2 Subsidies for Art?
It is likely that Wilhelm bought few paintings during the War of the Austrian Succession of 1741–1748, when both sides involved many Hessian troops and Wilhelm may have been more concerned with this risky military strategy.1 Cultural historian Ludolf Pelizaeus argued in 2008 that there is a strong correlation between subsidies (in exchange for renting out soldiers) and art collecting in this period, even in terms of a predilection for military scenes. In my view, this claim is too far-fetched.2 More relevant was Wilhelm’s strategy to find allies for his ambition to gain the title of a prince-elector, although he ultimately failed with his politics.3 Financially, however, it was a success: in 1747, a monthly sum of 52,150 Thaler came in to Kassel's always tight accounts.4 By the end of the war, especially from the time troops no longer needed to be equipped, there were free resources for other things.
The connection between art and war is also reflected in a Quodlibet-painting by an anonymous artist from around 1735–1740 [9]. It shows a palette hanging on a nail, brushes, various newspapers and a poem dedicated to Wilhelm which reflects over Pictura being driven out by War: ‘Pictura wanted to hang up her art / And threw her palette and brush with anger to the floor / [...] Because War and Sword expel the arts […]’. It culminates with the verses directed towards Pictura: ‘Go to Prince Wilhelm Landgrave of Hessen / He has a lot of respect for you art / And therefore he is not your enemy’.5
9
Anonymous (German)
Trompe l'oeil with palette and a poem in praise of painting, c. 1735
paper on linen 50 x 63.5 cm
Kassel (Hessen), Museumslandschaft Hessen Kassel, inv./cat.nr. GK 1246
After the war, collecting art was back on the agenda in Kassel. At least one of the paintings that entered the collection before 1749 was a gift of Wilhelm’s son Friedrich (1720–1785). He wrote this in a letter dated 26 September 1748 to Baron Heinrich Jakob von Häckel (c. 1682–1760)‘My son is intensely involved in the love of painting, which makes me rather happy because it means my collection will eventually fall into good hands. […] But he has delighted me with a Rembrandt , which is very nice […]’.6 Unfortunately, it is unclear to which painting this refers. At that time, he probably already had 10 works by Rembrandt in his collection and may have been looking for other works, especially by Italian artists. The same year, he acquired four Italian paintings at the aforementioned auction of of Theodoor Wilkens’ (c. 1690-1748) in Amsterdam. With these acquisitions, his taste for late Italian Baroque and early Rococo painting emerged.
Notes
1 Schnackenburg 1996, p. 15.
2 Pelizaeus 2008, pp. 179–196.
3 Both/Vogel 1964, pp. 70–80.
4 Pelizaeus 2008, p. 194.
5 ‘Pictura wolte nächst die Kunst an Nagel hängen / Und warff höchst mißvergnügt Pallet und Pensel hin / Sie sprach: Weil Krieg und Schwerd die Künste nun verdränge(n) komt es / daß auch ich der Arbeit müde bin : Denn ich / die Mahler-Kunst / erfahr auch in den Tagen / Wie ich fast überall in schlechtem Ansehn sey ! Irene hört ihr zu bey dem gerechten Klagen Und legte dem Endschluß ein billig Urtheil bey Doch Pallas trat hervor / und sprach: Bist du vertrieben / Und findest auf der Welt nicht mehr ein Freyheits-Ort? So weiß ich doch noch eins / da man dich schon wird lieben: Geh zu Printz WILHELM nur / Landgraf zu Heßen / fort. Er pflegt für deine Kunst viel Hochachtung zu hegen / Und diß versichert dich / du seyst IHM nicht entgegen’. Lange et al. 2015, cat. no. 25.
6 ‘Mein sohn ist so tieff in die Mahler liebhaberey, als seyn kann, welches mich eben nicht übell freuet, weil dadurch meine Collection einmahl in gute Hände komt. Dann und wan fällt er zwahr noch einmal auf Albrecht Schmierern. Er hat mich aber mit einem Rembrand regalirt, welcher sehr hübsch […]’, Drach 1888, p. LXX-LXXI.