was executed at
Paris, Dijon, Amiens, or Limoges in France; or at Ghent, Bruges, or
elsewhere in Flanders; or whether a MS. be Rhenish or Saxon, Bavarian or
Westphalian, in Germany; Bolognese, Florentine, Siennese, Milanese, or
Neapolitan in Italy; or executed at Westminster, St. Albans, Exeter, or
elsewhere in England. Nevertheless the special characteristics of all
these schools are quite distinguishable. In the attempt to distinguish
them, although the diagnosis may be perfectly accurate, the actual facts
may be otherwise accounted for. Hence the danger to which even the
experienced connoisseur is liable. For example, certain MSS. are written
in a fine Bolognese hand, which it is proved were actually executed in
Flanders; others that one would feel sure were Netherlandish, were
illuminated in Spain. Some very fine typical Flemish miniatures were
painted in Italy; certain Florentine miniatures were the work of artists
residing in Rome. Milanese illumination is quite distinguishable from
Neapolitan, and Venetian from both, yet the school is not proof of the
_provenance_.
Illuminators, like other craftsmen, travelled from city to city, and
princes employed men, who resided in their patrons' palaces, who yet had
learned their art many leagues away.
Pages:
144
145
146
147
148
149
150
151
152
153
154
155
156
157
158
159
160
161
162
163
164
165
166
167
168