During the nineteenth century, the French academy of art was a major financial sponsor of painting and sculpture in France; sponsorship by private individuals had decreased dramatically by this time  Because the academy discouraged innovation in the arts, there was little innovation in nineteenth century French sculpture
Yet nineteenth century French painting showed a remarkable degree of innovation
Because stone was so much more expensive than paint and canvas, far more unsponsored paintings were produced than were unsponsored sculptures in France during the nineteenth century.