n Verona, which I read at the Royal
Institution, that I have ventured to call the aera of painting
represented by John Bellini, the time "of the Masters." Truly they
deserved the name, who did nothing but what was lovely, and taught only
what was right. These mightier, who succeeded them, crowned, but closed,
the dynasties of art, and since their day, painting has never flourished
more.

183. There were many reasons for this, without fault of theirs. They
were exponents, in the first place, of the change in all men's minds
from civil and religious to merely domestic passion; the love of their
gods and their country had contracted itself now into that of their
domestic circle, which was little more than the halo of themselves. You
will see the reflection of this change in painting at once by comparing
the two Madonnas (S. 37, John Bellini's, and Raphael's, called "della
Seggiola"). Bellini's Madonna cares for all creatures through her child;
Raphael's, for her child only.

Again, the world round these painters had become sad and proud, instead
of happy and humble;--its domestic peace was darkened by irreligion, its
national action fevered by pride. And for sign of its Love, the Hymen,
whose statue this fair English girl, according to Reynolds' thought, has
to decorate (S. 43), is blind, and holds a coronet.

Again, in the splendid power of realisation, which these greatest of
artists had reached, there was the latent possibility of amusement by
deception, and of excitement by sensualism. And Dutch trickeries of base
resemblance, and French fancies of insidious beauty, soon occupied the
eyes of the populace of Europe, too restless and wretched now to care
for the sweet earth-berries and Madonna's ivy of Cima, and too ignoble
to perceive Titian's colour, or Correggio's shade.

184. Enough sources of evil were here, in the temper and power of the
consummate art. In its practical methods there was another, the
fatallest of all. These great artists brought with them mystery,
despondency, domesticity, sensuality: of all these, good came, as well
as evil. One thing more they brought, of which nothing but evil ever
comes, or can come--LIBERTY.

By the discipline of five hundred years they had learned and inherited
such power, that whereas all former painters could be right only by
effort, they could be right with ease; and whereas all former painters
could be right only under restraint, they could be right, free.
Tinto