On the state of fine arts in England in 1857, or, The question of art applied to industry

In an article written for the Revue des Deux Mondes in 1857, Mérimée takes a stand in the controversial debate about the alliance of art and industry. Within this article and based on the example of Great Britain, the formation of taste and art education become the cornerstone of an approach to creation trying to reconcile aesthetics and politics so that beauty can regain its place in the polis.