 A prize was awarded in each of three classes—the First Hallgarten for the best oil painting in the annual exhibition, the Second Hallgarten for the second-best, and the Third Hallgarten for the third-best.The winners were chosen by a vote of all the artists participating in each year's exhibition, and the prizes were accompanied by a cash award.Winning a Hallgarten could give a tremendous boost to the career of a young painter.