The Makers of British Art
A Series of Illustrated Monographs
Edited by
James A. Manson
Illustrated With Photogravure Portraits; Half-tone and Line — Reproductions of the Best Pictures
Nothing in the social history of the later Victorian era was more remarkable than the growth of popular interest in Art. Doubtless this was largely due to the spread of education, which has not only disseminated knowledge, but also improved public taste. Nevertheless much of the credit must be ascribed to the influence exerted by the many Exhibitions, local as well as international, which have been held since the inaugural Show in London in 1851.
Extraordinary as was the development referred to, the most hopeful sign is that it has proved to be no mere passing symptom but has become a permanent feature of civic life. This new-birth has been fostered by municipal and private munificence alike. The leading corporations, such as those of the City of London, Liverpool, Manchester, Birmingham, Newcastle, Bristol, Leeds, Sheffield, and Nottingham in England; of Edinburgh, Glasgow, Aberdeen, and Dundee in Scotland; of Sydney, Melbourne, and Adelaide in the Australian Commonwealth; of New York, Boston, Philadelphia, and Chicago in the United States, vie with each other in honourable rivalry for the acquisition of the greatest examples of old and modern masters.
In these circumstances it would be surprising if an irresistible popular demand had not grown up for information, of both a biographical and critical character, respecting the famous painters whose work has been so generally admired and whose names have become household words. In the case of the Old Masters this want has already been met, but no really satisfying series exists dealing avowedly with the most typical painters of the British School.
The Walter Scott Publishing Company, Limited, have accordingly made arrangements for the publication of a series of volumes bearing the title—