her pictures were engraved by Bartolozzi, and good prints of them are
rare. On one of her pictures she wrote: "I will not attempt to express
supernatural things by human inspiration, but wait for that till I reach
heaven, if there is painting done there."

CHAPTER V.

PAINTING IN SPAIN.

Spanish painting had its birth during the reign of Ferdinand and Isabella,
and may be said to have been derived from Italy, through the influence of
the Italian painters who went to Spain, and the Spanish artists who made
their studies in Italy. But in spite of this strong Italian influence
Spanish painting has its own characteristics which separate it from all
other schools, and give it a high position on its own merits. ANTONIO DEL
RINCON (1446-1500) was the first Spanish painter of whom we know. If any
works of his remain they are portraits of his august sovereigns now in the
Cathedral of Granada; but it is probable that these pictures are copies of
the originals by Rincon.

Dating the beginning of the Spanish school from the last half of the
fifteenth century, it is the third school in Europe as to age, it being
about two centuries later than the Italian, and one century later than the
Flemish school. Its importance is only exceeded by that of Italy. The
distinguishing feature of Spanish art is its gravity, or we may almost say
its strictly religious character, for, excepting portraits, there were few
pictures of consequence that had not a religious meaning. Some artists
were also priests, and, as the officers of the Inquisition appointed
inspectors whose duty it was to report for punishment any artist who did
not follow the rules of the Inquisition, it is easy to understand that the
painters were careful to keep within the rules fixed for them. Whatever
flights of imagination one might have in secret, he would scarcely run the
risk of being excommunicated from the church, sent into exile for a year,
and fined one thousand five hundred ducats for the pleasure of putting his
fancies on canvas.

Pacheco, who was an inspector at Seville, published minute rules for the
representation of sacred subjects and persons, and other writers did the
same. There was a long and grave discussion over the propriety of painting
the devil with horns and a tail. It was decided that he should have horns
because, according to the legend of St. Theresa, he had horns when he
appeared to that saint; and he was allowed to have a tail because it w