The History of Modern Painting, Volume 1 (of 4): Revised edition continued by the author to the end of the XIX centuryMuther, Richard
History
The History of Modern Painting, Volume 1 (of 4): Revised edition continued by the author to the end of the XIX century
Muther, Richard
Painting -- History
VEIT, PHILIP.
Portrait of Veit 136
The Arts introduced into Germany by Christianity 137
The two Marys at the Sepulchre 139
WAPPERS, GUSTAV.
Portrait of Wappers 303
The Sacrifice of Burgomaster van der Werff
at the Siege of Leyden 305
The Death of Columbus 307
WATTEAU, ANTOINE.
Portrait of Watteau 56
La Partie Carrée 57
The Music Party 73
The Return from the Chase 74
INTRODUCTION
The historian who wishes to relate the history of painting in the
nineteenth century is confronted with quite other demands than await him
who undertakes the art of an earlier period. The greatest difficulty
with which the latter has to cope is the deficiency of sources. He
manifestly gropes in the dark with regard to the works of the masters as
well as to the circumstances of their lives. After he has searched
archives and libraries in order to collect his biographical material,
the real critical problem awaits him. Even amongst the admittedly
authentic works, those which are undated confront those whose chronology
is certain. To these must be added those nameless ones, as to whose
history there is a doubt; to these again, those whose origin is to be
ascertained. It needs a quick eye to separate the schools and groups,
and finally to recognise the notes which are peculiar to the master.
With none of these difficulties is the historian of modern art
confronted. The painters of the nineteenth century have very seldom
forgotten to attach a name and date to their works, and the
circumstances of their lives are related with an accuracy that was,
earlier, rarely the lot of the foremost men in history. It is all the
more difficult, face to face with such a chaos of pictures, to discover
the spiritual bond which connects them all, to construct a building out
of the immense supply of accumulated bricks, the piled-up mass of rough
material. The evolution of modern painting is more complicated and
varied than that of the art of an earlier period, just as modern life
itself is more complicated and varied than that of any previous age.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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