"Am I a God at hand, and not a God afar off?" - Jeremiah 23

Saxony has long enjoyed a great reputation for the arts in Europe. Thanks to the genius of Meissen porcelain, nurtured by Augustus the Strong, Saxony is known around the world for the products of its kilns, and its artistry upon its product has arguably surpassed even that of the original porcelain nation, the Chinese. A combination of clever usage of new technology with firing methods and brilliant artists means that Saxon porcelain is much higher quality in both material, and in aesthetic composition, than anywhere else in the world, and it is found across all of Europe in porcelain chests and cabinets. The attempts of other nations to try to catch up have been as a whole, rather dismal - Austrian porcelain factories have a terribly tendency to burn down or be poorly managed for example.

This artistic advantage is of great import to the electorate, as it is recovering from the raves of the Five Years War and its horrible invasion by the hated Prussians. It is necessary for the Electorate to put its economy back into order and to seek to rebuild its shattered manufacturing base, as the Prussians had taken control of the porcelain factories during their occupation. In order for the prestige and economic health of the kingdom to be restored, and for Saxony to be able to contribute to the arts, sciences, and cultural progress of humanity, there must be a forward movement of the cultural arts within the territory of the elector.

This is to be achieved through the establishment of a General Academy of Arts for Painting, Sculpture, Copperplate Engraving and Architecture which is to promote the arts of Saxony and to serve as a corporate body for the training and licensing of Saxon artists in a wide variety of domains. Its first director is to be Charles Hutin, a Frenchman, unsurprising given their domination of much of the higher cultural arts and the amity between France and Saxony. A new palace will be commissioned in the suburbs of Dresden to provide for the housing for the General Academy, along the lines of Versailles. Particular effort is to be put into painting, with links established between the Meissen porcelain factory and the General Academy.

Furthermore the Meissen porcelain factory is to be expanded and renovated, to make up for the occupation by the Prussians, with goals to increase production and ensure that its continued technological and cultural lead is both maintained and hopefully expanded. The Elector will be engaging in a diplomacy of porcelain gifts to give various courts gifts of porcelain, to demonstrate the forceful return of Saxony to the European cultural scene and the undiminished nature of its prowess.