Six Centuries of Painting by Randall Davies

Based on the cardinal points of painting, Randall Davies attempted to classify, explain the origins and influences, and present the development of painting in the western hemisphere. The cardinal points he used are the following: basis of religion, development peculiar to the soil, imitation of nature, and approbation of the public.

This volume is quite helpful to art students and even to general readers because of the organization of the information. However, it is more like a list than a study of the distinct features of the schools. Some portions did give useful information about the styles and their differences but it is very rare. Only the well-known artists are given special attention as well. Moreover, the author injects biased comments about the specific artists' styles, putting aside what could have been a more useful general comparison of styles.

Nonetheless, the book has plenty of useful information and is easy to read. The ff. are the chapters included in the volume:

Tuscan Schools
Venetian Schools
Spanish School
Flemish School
Dutch School
Painters of Genre
Painters of Animals
Painters of Landscape
German Schools
The Seventeenth Century
The Eighteenth Century
The English School
Close of the Eighteenth Century
The Nineteenth Century
The Spirit of Revolt
Ruskin Against the Philistines
Manet and Whistler Against the World
The Royal Academy

Rating: 6 out of 10