Early Netherlandish School [antikvár]

NOTE It would be hopeless to try to define precisely the frontiers of the Early Netherlandish School; two lists at the end of this book, of the inventory numbers of the pictures, and of the attributions changed from the catalogue of 1929, will be a guide to what is included. The biographical notices of the painters need a brief explanation; they omit many facts to be found in the Dictionaries, and are largely definitions of why certain pictures are associated with certain names. Some facts concerning the painter's life are given, if relevant to attribution; the status of key-works is discussed at some length, if these are few and doubtful. The definition of a nucleus of more or less documented work is in general all that is attempted. It is assumed that the student can see reproductions of ascribed pictures; and that he can decide for himself which of these are important, which trivial. Sometimes brief indications are given of a painter's place in the history of the School; no attempt has been made to estimate his merits or defects. As for the attributions of the pictures themselves, nothing is either signed or documented unless explicitly so described. Some caution in the expertise has been observed; no attempt has been made to quote all opinions, though there is sufficient matter to start the student of ascriptions on his way, and some space is used in explaining the statements of the 1929 catalogue. Some opinions on dating are usually quoted, though as likely as not the reasons for them are subjective. Description of the pictures has been largely omitted; reference to a reproduction is given instead. Inscriptions on the fronts and (if they too are pictures) on the backs are recorded; iconographical identifications and any details hard to see are stated. If elucidation of these statements is needed, it has been made lower down, in the commentary; but explanation of the commoner points of iconography, such as the emblems of Saints, will be found in the iconographical index. The reader is assumed to have a working knowledge of Latin and the chief languages of Western Europe. In the difficult matter of condition, some suggestions are given in almost every case. If the condition is marked as fair or better than fair, the student need not bother about it unless he wishes. The compiler has had exceptional opportunities for studying the condition, opportunities that could probably not be granted to students wishing to dispute his statements. The compiler feels this to be an additional disadvantage in a subject already difficult, in which he freely admits that he is likely sometimes to be wrong; but unless there is a statement of the condition such as is provisionally attempted here, the field of attribution is mined