Great Portraits as Seen and Described by Great Writers (Classic Reprint)

Excerpt from Great Portraits as Seen and Described by Great Writers

It is hard for us in this day of photographs to realize what portrait-painting meant to the world even as late as a century ago. The only way to record the features and figure was by means of pencil or brush; hence the art of portraiture became a most important and lucrative branch of painting. The greatest masters excelled in it, and some of them are remembered chiefly, if not solely, by their portraits.

It is impossible within the limits of a small volume adequately to represent all of the great masters of portraiture; but I have endeavoured to present as many styles of treatment and varieties of subject as possible, besides including certain portraits of renown. The book will, therefore, offer many interesting points of study; for many of the selections describe the canvas briefly and dwell at length upon the artist's method of work and his peculiarities of touch and treatment.

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