Use of Illustrative Material.
Whichever method may be followed, it will be found that illustrations will add much to the interest of the class and make clearer the characteristics of the painting and sculpture of the period. A few pictures carefully selected will serve the purpose much better than a larger number. The “Madonna and Christ-Child,” by Cimabue;[6] the “Death of St. Francis,” by Giotto, and the “Coronation of the Virgin,” by Fra Angelico, will serve as illustrations of some of the faults of medieval painting. Care should be taken, however, to point out the fact that some of these artists are classed among the early Renaissance painters and their work marks a decided advance over that of their predecessors. The “Last Judgment,” by Michelangelo; the Sistine “Madonna,” by Raphael; the “Assumption of the Virgin,” by Titian, and da Vinci’s “Last Supper” are numbered among the “World Pictures,” and illustrate that mastery of technique and conception which has made their names so famous. Pictures of Michelangelo’s Moses, his David, and his figures on the tombs of the Medici, and Ghiberti’s bronze doors for the baptistry of Florence can easily be secured to illustrate the work of the Renaissance sculptors. A suggestion has already been made as to medieval sculpture. The Perry Picture Company or the Cosmos Picture Company can probably supply such pictures as may be needed at a very moderate cost. That teacher is especially fortunate who has access to a good art museum. The Metropolitan Museum of Art of New York City offers special facilities to teachers and classes wishing to use their collections.