"This book is about a family tree. Gert-Rudolf Flick traces the 'apostolic succession' from Perugrino in the fifteenth century to Edouard Manet in the nineteenth, as each painter passed on his knowledge to the next generation." "The line of descent that connects Perugrino with Manet is made up of just eighteen artists. Some are household names such as Raphael and David. Others, for example, Horace Le Blanc and Louis Boullogne, have fallen into obscurity." "All are connected by a common bond: the belief that art could be taught and learned, and that skill and knowledge would be passed on from an older artist to a younger. With Manet, the succession came to a halt, marking the end of a great tradition but also the beginning of the modern art world, in which the desirability of teaching art has been thrown into question." "This account is richly illustrated both with masterpieces and less familiar works.

Many will surprise and delight the reader while revealing why the artists under discussion once enjoyed such high reputations in the art world of their time." "Gert-Rudolf Flick reveals how, over the centuries, the nature and methods of artistic instruction changed, from the guild system and the individual workshop to the academy and elaborate institutions of state."--BOOK JACKET.