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Lights in Art, a Review of Ancient and Modern Pictures, by an Artist [g.w. Novice].
Lights in Art a Review of Ancient and Modern Pictures by an Artist - g.w. Novice Author:George William Novice General Books publication date: 2009 Original publication date: 1865 Notes: This is a black and white OCR reprint of the original. It has no illustrations and there may be typos or missing text. When you buy the General Books edition of this book you get free trial access to Million-Books.com where you can select from more than a million book... more »s for free. Excerpt: CHAPTER V. PAINTING IN FRANCE -- THE FIRST NATIVE ARTIST -- THE FOLLOWERS OF VOUET AND GREUZE. HE people of France cannot properly claim the distinction -- prior, at least, to the present century -- of having ori- ginated and fostered any regular school of painting, or of having well classified the several excellent painters who have at different times appeared among them. Yet we are perfectly familiar with the designation of the French School; a favourite term, and used to denote an imagined equality in art with their Italian neighbours. France has certainly produced many great artists, very few of whom, however, are known to have secured a sufficient number of followers to establish a right system for the successful formation of a school, as that phrase is understood in the fine arts.1 A greatpainter occasionally appeared to astonish and delight his countrymen; but he was alone, and passed away with his own individual excellence, without disciples able to follow or improve upon his style. In some cases where imitators seemed desirous to pursue a noble example, their efforts were attended by entire failure, and they finally sank to a degree below mediocrity. The luminaries of art arose singly and at intervals, without the instruction of eminent masters, or any other apparent aid, and departed in solitary grandeur, leaving nothing but their fame, like the orb of night, to enlighten the pictorial void that succeeded their terrene existence. To imbibe high principles, to emulate approved practice, and to aim steadily and consistently for the perpetuation of a noble style, were attainments too lofty ...« less