Raimond Van Marle

Volume XVIII.

The preparation of this volume and of those that have stiU to foUow necessitated a fairly long sojourn in Great Britain and 1 feel that 1 must express my gratitude to an those with whom 1 carne in contact for the continuation of this work. Here 1 should like to convey my personal appre- ciation, which 1 feeI sure is shared by every historian of art, of the kindness of Sir Robert and Lady Witt, whose collec- tion, incredibly rich in reproductions of works of art, is open to students in a manner which is as cordial as it is useful. My relations with private collectors and with the officials of museums and other collections will always remain a very happy souvenir and once more 1 wish to thank more par- ticularly Mr. Arthur M. Hind of the Print Room of the British Museum for all that he did to facilitate my study of this marvellous collection of drawings and prints. Sa1'1 Marca di Perugia, December I928. INTRODUCTION After the death of Cosimo de' Medici, Florence lost for a short time that perfect harmony of tendencies which united the noble seigneur with all his surroundings and with the artists and which, during the first generation of the Renaissance, was so fruitful.

Volume VIII.

The pictorial production which, in Tuscany, belongs to the cosmopolitan Gothic style, exhibits certain peculiarities which differentiate it from the other local groups. The cause of this phenomenon must be looked for in the artistic movement in th Florence and Siena before the beginning of the I5 century. It is evident that in these two towns artistic currents were established which were so to say autonomous and provided in themselves a strong reaction against any outside influence. Moreover, contrary to the regions of Northern Italy, both the towns of Florence and Siena were too far distant from other countries to feel the effects of the evolution that took place in the field of figurative art. It is true that certain districts to the south of Tuscany were influenced by foreign schools but this can be accounted for by the feebleness of local centres of any importance, if not their entire absence.

Volume IV.

It is only in the last generation that lovers of art have recognized the special qualities of the 14th century Sienese school of painting, and have found its graceful, conventional drawing and its pleasing decorative effects not inferior to the realism and fidelity to nature praised in other periods. The general admiration accorded to the subtle, lyrical and aristo* cratic expression of abstract and spiritual conceptions which is the essence of Sienese painting, gives us some hope for the future develop- ment of taste in Europe and for its artistic tendencies. F. Mason Perkins was the first to understand the aesthetic signific- ance, not only of the principal artists of this school, but also of its minor members. His numerous articles on the "Little Masters" have been of great assistance to me in my attempt to write as complete a history as was possible of Sienese painting in the I4th century. I am only too glad to take this opportunity of paying homage to his profound knowledge and enthusiastic activity in this field of study. Other names that deserve mention here are those of Mr. Langton Douglas, the annotator of Crowe and Cavalcaselle and author of many important studies including a IIHistory of Siena"; and of Dr. G. De Nicola, Director of the National Museum, Florence, for among the many subjects with which he is conversant is the history of the Sienese school of painting, on which he has written articles of great value.