Patronage refers to the act of supporting—and sometimes promoting—the arts and literature through commissions or private financial assistance, whether the patronage is a natural person or a legal entity such as a company. In a broader sense, it can also apply to any area of public interest: research, education, the environment, sport, solidarity, innovation, and related fields.Valérie Pécresse parle ainsi d'introduction du mécénat à propos de la possibilité introduite pour les entreprises dans la Loi relative aux libertés et responsabilités des universités de financer des fondations d'université..
At the heart of philanthropy, corporate patronage has become increasingly prevalentGlossaire du mécénat (Mecenova.org, archived or defunct; consult alternative sources for glossary definitions of mécénat terms).. It is defined as financial, human, or material support provided by a company without direct consideration in return, as well as through the generosity of certain billionairesCes milliardaires français qui partagent leur fortune.. In taxation and accounting terms, it is considered a donation. Patronage benefits from advantageous tax treatment when there is a marked disproportion between the amount given and the benefits received. However, patronage should not be confused with sponsorship because, unlike sponsorship, it does not require any consideration in return. History From Antiquity to the Middle Ages In French, the term used is for art patronage is , and several other European languages have a similar one word expression. This word derives from Gaius Cilnius Maecenas, protector of the arts and letters in ancient Rome. Over time, it came to designate any individual or legal person who supports a cultural project or an artist through influence or financial means. Throughout history, patronage has varied in importance and has been marked by prominent figures. One speaks, for example, of the patronage of medieval princesses such as Mahaut, Countess of Artois and Isabeau of Bavière, whose commissions sustained numerous artists.
Renaissance (14th–16th centuries)
The golden age of patronage corresponds to the Italian Renaissance. In Florence, the Arti guilds, which protected merchant corporations, also financed the fine arts by commissioning works for religious buildings (notably the Arte di Calimala). The Medici, especially Lorenzo de' Medici, are renowned for their support of artists, enabling their fame. Lorenzo protected numerous figures including Michelangelo, Andrea del Verrocchio, architects Giuliano da Maiano and Giuliano da Sangallo, and humanists such as Giovanni Pico della Mirandola. In Ferrara, Ercole I d'Este played a comparable role. The Sienese banker Agostino Chigi supported artists and writers including Perugino, Giovanni da Udine, Giulio Romano, Baldassare Peruzzi, Sebastiano del Piombo, Il Sodoma, Raphael, and Pietro Aretino.
In France, Cardinal Georges d'Amboise was among the principal introducers of the Renaissance. King Francis I of France and the Constable Anne de Montmorency were also great patrons of the Arts. The king used patronage to demonstrate his power One example is the Château de Fontainebleau, which welcomed many Italian and French artists, including Leonardo da Vinci, whom Francis I brought back from Italy in 1516 and installed at Amboise at the Château du Clos Lucé.
Emperor Rudolf II, Holy Roman Emperor was likewise an important patron, confirming the privileges of the painters' guild in 1595 and acquiring numerous paintings by Titian, Albrecht Dürer, and the Brueghels, which he displayed at Prague Castle. The Italian painter Giuseppe Arcimboldo portrayed him as Vertumnus and was rewarded with the title of Count Palatine.
Other notable patrons of the Renaissance in France were the House of Guise and Montmorency families, who actively supported the new style of art and architecture. In Scandinavia, Henrik Rantzau, the governor of Holstein, had no fewer than twenty-five residences built or rebuilt and collected more than six thousand books. In the Czech Renaissance, Peter Vok of Rozmberk played an important role, as did his brother Vilém. In Spain, there was Don Diego Hurtado de Mendoza. In Poland, there was Chancellor Jan Zamoyski. In England, Robert Dudley was an important patron of the arts. Most notably, there was Alexander Farnese, who had the Farnese Palace built in Rome, Cardinal Granvelle, an important minister of Philip II, and William Cecil. 17th to 19th centuries
In Italy during the 18th century was home to several important patrons of the art, such as Ferdinando de' Medici, Grand Prince of Tuscany, Cardinals Pietro Ottoboni and Benedetto Pamphilj, and Aurora Sanseverino.
In France Catherine de' Medici was one of the greatest patrons of the 16th century, supporting artists, poets, musicians, and architects at court. In the following century, Cardinal Mazarin built the Collège des Quatre-Nations and introduced Charles Le Brun to Louis XIV. Madame de Pompadour and Joseph Paris Duverney financed the construction of the École Militaire (1751–1756).
Russia had several patrons of the arts in the 18th and 19th centuries and early 20th century, including Ivan Shuvalov, Pavel Tretyakov, Savva Mamonto, Savva Morozov, Ivan Morozov, and Margarita Morozova.
In the 19th century, the painter Gustave Courbet, a friend of Pierre-Joseph Proudhon, changed the game by bringing forth the figure of the free artist, and personally claimed his autonomy in his artistic choices from patrons, whether they came from economic or political power. One of his paintings, La Rencontre, symbolized his convictions, depicting the painter meeting one of his buyers and most loyal supporters, Alfred Bruyas, without any trace of the deference usually expected between an artist and his patrons. 20th and 21st centuries The 20th century marked a renewal of patronage in the United States and Europe. Among the great names of the era were Charles de Noailles, Marie-Laure de Noailles, the Rothschild family, Alexis de Redé, Peggy Guggenheim, the Marquis de Cuevas, Marcellin and Pierre Bergé, and Yves Saint Laurent.
In France in the 21st century, there are a few individuals who deserve special mention, particularly for their patronage of contemporary art: Antoine de Galbert businessman and founder of La Maison Rouge), a foundation promoting various forms of contemporary art; Ariane de Rothschild who manages various foundations and gave her name to the Prix Ariane de Rothschild, an annual award for contemporary artists Prix Ariane de Rothschild), an annual award for contemporary artists; Alain-Dominique Perrin, former CEO of Cartier SA), and founder of the Fondation Cartier pour l’art contemporain; Bernard Arnault businessman and CEO of LVMH, with the Louis Vuitton corporate foundation.
A new trend that seems to be gaining momentum at the start of the 21st century is the creation of exhibition spaces by foundations, or even the temporary privatization of public spaces. This can be seen in Paris, with the Bulgari exhibition at the Grand Palais in 2013, followed by the Cartier exhibition at the same venue in 2014. There are also nomadic exhibitions, such as Chanel's Petite Veste Noire exhibition, which traveled from Paris and London to major cities in Asia. And at the Palais de Tokyo in Paris, there was the Roger Vivier shoe exhibition, followed by an exhibition dedicated to Chanel's No. 5 perfume, which some visitors perceived as a rental of space.
More and more public services and institutions, cultural or otherwise, are planning to use participatory sponsorship to finance projects of general interest. However, they are unsure about the best way to reach potential donors: whether to use a general or more specialized crowdfunding platform, or to solicit donations directly from internet users via their website, or even from the public directly at their premises. Economics France In France, from the monarchy to the Republic, passing through the Empire, art was for a long time primarily a matter of the state. According to Guy de Brébisson, the legitimacy of corporate patronage today remains weaker in France than in the United States, even though attitudes have evolved significantly since the 1980s. It remains largely a practice of large companies, but the participation of small and medium-sized enterprises is no longer negligible at the local and regional levels. Provincial companies represented only 12.5% of corporate patrons in 1985, but 41% by the early 1990s.
In 1994, the scale of corporate patronage in France was estimated at 800 million francs, while the budget of the Ministry of Culture (France), excluding major public works, amounted to 13.5 billion francs (about 1% of the state budget). Expenditures by local authorities represented nearly twice that amount.
In 2008, corporate patronage activities by companies with more than 20 employees were estimated at €2.5 billion in France. This amount was distributed among culture (40%), solidarity (32%), environment (15%), research (9%), and sports (5%). The share contributed by companies to culture (nearly €1 billion) therefore represented 44% of the financial contributions of the Ministry of Culture (France) in 2008.
Company size also influences patronage: 60% of large companies support associations, compared with 36% of small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) and 20% of very small enterprises (VSEs).
Environmental patronage has developed since the 1990s, particularly as part of companies’ efforts to "green" their activities, although this has also raised concerns about greenwashing. A Corporate Patronage Mission exists within the Ministry of Ecological Transition (France), and a practical, legal, and fiscal guide to environmental patronage has been published by the Commissariat général au développement durable.
In 2010, the French Minister of Culture at the time, Frédéric Mitterrand, emphasized that "the responsibility of the state and public authorities in general is not only to finance cultural life, but also to encourage initiatives from civil society".
Economic importance of foundations Corporate patronage generally takes place through the creation of foundations, particularly in Anglo-Saxon countries. In the United States, there were 62,000 foundations in 2006, investing $3.6 billion annually in culture. The two most important in this field are the Ford Foundation (around $80 million per year) and the Reynolds Foundation ($58 million per year). In France, there were 2,100 foundations in the same year, compared with 14,000 in Denmark, 10,000 in Germany, 8,800 in the United Kingdom, and 3,300 in Italy.
A report by the Inspection Générale des Finances published in April 2017 estimated that the assets held by foundations in France amounted to €22 billion, while foundations in Germany held about €100 billion and those in the United Kingdom about €70 billion. The same report notes that "several countries allow foundations to have a commercial purpose, so that they are used as tools for holding and protecting companies—54% of Danish stock market capitalization is said to be held by foundations."
The scope of action of foundations can be broad, ranging from painting to photography, as well as literature and architecture. The Fondation du patrimoine, for example, aims to finance the restoration of local heritage that will never be officially listed as a historic monument. The World Monuments Fund, financed by American patrons, has funded the restoration of 450 monuments in 90 countries, including the cloister of Church of Saint-Trophime in Arles and Preah Khan in Cambodia.
Legal and fiscal framework
United States