THE EARLY FLEMISH PAINTERS: NOTICES OF Their Lives and Works. BY J. A. CROWE AND G. B. CAVALCASELLE. SECOND EDITION. Koninklijke LONDON. JOHN MURRAY, ALBEMARLE STREET. 1872. PREFACE. Since the first appearance of "The Early Flemish Painters" in 1857, criticism and enquiry have enlarged our knowledge of the schools of the Netherlands. Artists whose identity was not established are now familiar; records which seemed to have been lost, have been found again; and pictures which were thought to have perished are restored to us. The mass of materials at the historian's command has greatly increased. The mere mention of the names of A. Pinchart, E. van Even, W. H. J. Weale, A. Wauters, E. de Busscher, and C. H. Ruelens, recalls to specialists the most important contributions made to the history of 15th century art in our day. To some of these gentlemen, and particularly to Mr. Pinchart whose communications are the more valuable because hitherto unpublished, we owe more than a mere acknowledgment of thanks. It is only just to say that, but A* |