The Evolution of Painting. 369 



degree of civilization in comparatively early times, and the 

 art of painting developed earlier than in Germany. The 

 paintings of the earlier Flemish artists were nearly all 

 destroyed by Christian iconoclasts, and little is known of 

 the painters living previous to the fifteenth century. 



The brothers Van Eyck, who were born in the latter part 

 of the fourteenth century, discovered a new method of ap- 

 plying colors, with oils, and carried the art of painting to a 

 high degree of perfection. After the death of these artists 

 painting rapidly declined. But two centuries later we find 

 two of the great names of history Rubens of Belgium and 

 Rembrandt of Holland. 



In Germany, painting reached its highest development in 

 the beginning of the sixteenth century. Albert Durer and 

 Hans Holbein are its great masters. After the death of 

 Durer, in 1520, Germany was convulsed by the religious 

 wars and social revolutions of the Reformation period, 

 which had a destructive influence upon art. 



The art of painting made little headway in Spain until 

 the sixteenth century, and owes its origin largely to Italian 

 and Flemish influences. It was not until the seventeenth 

 century that the great names of Murillo and Velasquez ap- 

 peared. As a portrait painter Velasquez has had few equals 

 and perhaps no superiors. 



Although French writers claim an early origin for the 

 practice of painting in France, it appears that the early 

 French painters chiefly excelled in glass painting and in the 

 illuminating of manuscripts. There seems to have been no 

 distinctive French school until a comparatively recent period. 

 Francis I did much to encourage art in France. He invited 

 Da Vinci and other Italian artists into his service. A great 

 part of Michel Angelo's designs and cartoons and two cases 

 of his models were taken to France, and also a large number 

 of antique statues and busts. Florence was stripped of 

 paintings and statues. Raphael painted his Transfiguration 

 and other works for France. The superficial character of the 

 French people, taken in connection with unfavorable social 

 conditions, has done much to retard the growth of art. But 

 France can boast of many painters of great merit, and at 

 present the French school is perhaps the leading school of 

 the world. 



Painting in England is of recent growth ; in fact, it be- 

 longs almost wholly to the last century and a half. The 

 growth of art was very much retarded by the many religious 



