The Old Masters and Their Pictures, For the Use of Schools and Learners in Art

In Short

This book provides a structured, historical overview of the great painters of Italy, Flanders, Germany, and Spain. By organizing these masters through the lenses of time, geography, and artistic rank, the text offers a clear, chronological narrative. Rather than engaging in dense theoretical debates, it focuses on the lives, social circumstances, and famous works of individuals ranging from Giotto to Rembrandt. Its enduring value lies in its earnest attempt to bridge the gap between the expert scholar and the curious beginner, grounding its lessons in the concrete reality of the canvas.

The Story

The narrative begins in the fourteenth century with the early Italian masters, tracing the transition from the stiff, symbolic forms of the Middle Ages toward the humanism of the Renaissance. We follow the development of Giotto and his contemporaries as they anchor the roots of painting in the soil of Italian city-states. The story moves to the early Flemish school, exploring how the meticulous detail and technical precision of the Van Eycks and Quintin Matsys contrasted with the burgeoning Italian focus on perspective and anatomy.

As the text progresses, the narrative reaches the high-water mark of the Renaissance. The focus shifts to the titans of the age: Leonardo da Vinci, Michelangelo, and Raphael. Their lives are framed not merely as artistic success stories but as complex negotiations with the powerful figures of their day—Popes, Medici patrons, and rival contemporaries. The story captures the intellectual fervor of Florence and the competitive grandeur of Rome, detailing how these men balanced religious devotion, political upheaval, and their own intense creative ambitions.

The scope then widens to encompass the later Italian masters, including the dramatic shift in style introduced by Titian, Tintoretto, and the Carracci family. The narrative transitions to the Northern schools, where the domestic, landscapes, and portraiture of the Dutch and Flemish painters—such as Rubens, Rembrandt, and Hobbema—come to the fore. Here, the focus turns to the rise of art markets, the patronage of nobility, and the often precarious financial realities faced even by legendary painters.

Finally, the account reaches into the Spanish school, highlighting the courtly life of Velázquez and the religious intensity of Murillo. The narrative concludes by reflecting on the shifting tastes of posterity, noting how some masters were celebrated during their lifetimes only to fade, while others like Hobbema were ignored until long after their deaths. Throughout the text, the reader encounters the tangible remains of these lives: the crumbling frescoes of the Campo Santo in Pisa, the tapestry cartoons of Raphael, and the commissioned portraits of the English aristocracy. The arc of the book is thus a history of transition, charting the long move from the communal, religious craft of the early Middle Ages to the highly individualistic and often worldly professional life of the late seventeenth-century painter.

How It Unfolds

The foundations of Italian art The narrative establishes the birth of Western painting by examining the muralists and sculptors of the fourteenth century. It highlights the work of Giotto and Orcagna, emphasizing their role in decorating civic and religious spaces like the Campo Santo in Pisa.

The Northern perspective The focus shifts to the meticulous craftsmanship of the Flemish masters, such as the Van Eycks and Quintin Matsys. It contrasts their technical focus on oil painting and daily observation with the spiritual and monumental traditions emerging in the south.

The Renaissance summit The text details the lives of Leonardo, Michelangelo, and Raphael, focusing on their interactions with the Papacy and the changing demands of their patrons. It explores the tension between their monumental public works and their personal, often tumultuous, private lives.

The rise of later schools The narrative moves through the developments of the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries, including the Venetian love for color and the academic rigor of the Carracci. It marks the transition toward the baroque, tracking how new subjects—mythology, landscapes, and portraiture—began to compete with strictly religious art.

The professional legacy The final sections cover the Dutch and Spanish schools, focusing on the lives of Rubens, Rembrandt, and Velázquez. It concludes by examining how these artists were perceived by later generations, noting the irony of posthumous fame and the fluctuations of art history.

The People

The book centers on the figures who defined the Western canon, starting with those who were as much theologians as they were painters. Fra Angelico and Fra Bartolommeo represent the early, monastic tradition, struggling to reconcile their faith with the "stormy times" and political pressures of Florence. Michael Angelo emerges as a figure of monumental, sometimes solitary, struggle, caught between his roles as painter, sculptor, and architect under the shifting whims of various Popes.

In contrast, Raphael is portrayed as the archetype of grace and professional success, navigating the high-stakes world of Rome with a sociability that allowed him to thrive where others faltered. The narrative also highlights the "doughty" Quintin Matsys, who transitions from a blacksmith to a master painter, illustrating the mobility of talent in the guilds of Antwerp. Titian and Velezquez appear as masters of the courtly life, rewarded by emperors and kings, yet still subject to the physical toll of their demanding duties. Finally, the narrative includes those who suffered from the instability of the market, such as Hobbema, who died in poverty despite creating works that would eventually be valued far beyond his own understanding.

In Its Own Voice

"The book is not, and could not well be, exhaustive in its nature."

The author sets the modest, pedagogical tone for the work in the preface, clarifying that this volume is intended as a starting point for the lay reader.

"'Twas love connubial taught the smith to paint,"

This line, taken from an inscription in the Antwerp Cathedral, highlights the legendary romantic origin of the painter Quintin Matsys.

"The Emperor, visiting the painter while he was at work, stooped down and picked up a pencil, which Titian had let fall, to the confusion and distress of the painter, when Charles paid the princely compliment, 'Titian is worthy of being served by Cæsar.'"

This anecdote exemplifies the elevated status of the master painter in the eyes of his royal patrons.

What It's Really About

At its heart, this book explores the evolving relationship between the artist, the patron, and the public. It asks how aesthetic values shift over time, noting that works once central to their culture—like the frescoes of the Campo Santo—can fall into decay or neglect, while obscure painters can be resurrected by changing critical tastes. The text examines the tension between art as a spiritual pursuit and art as a commodity. It questions what allows a painter to survive and thrive, looking at the role of guild structures, royal favor, and the sheer persistence of the individual. Ultimately, it is a meditation on the permanence of human expression in the face of political change, religious transition, and the inevitable fading of the physical world.

Why Read It Today

Readers who appreciate a direct, narrative style will find this an engaging companion. It reads like a guided tour, stripping away the jargon of contemporary art criticism to focus on the human story behind the masterpiece. If you enjoy biographical history and are interested in how the major figures of the Renaissance and the Dutch Golden Age lived and worked, this volume offers a wealth of character-driven detail.

However, the reader should be prepared for the perspective of a nineteenth-century writer. The text reflects the attitudes of its time, particularly in its focus on European schools to the exclusion of other traditions and its reliance on a hierarchical view of "greatness." The language is Victorian, and the structure is compact; those looking for an exhaustive academic bibliography or complex semiotic analysis will find the book straightforward to a fault. It does not attempt to be a deep critical theory text, nor does it shy away from the romanticized legends that once surrounded these artists. If you read it as a reflection of how art was understood and taught in the late nineteenth century, it remains a charming and enlightening guide. It stays with you not as a dry list of facts, but as a series of vivid, often poignant snapshots of lives dedicated to the pursuit of beauty.