It is important to stress the fact that many of the ‘Old Masters’ supported themselves by painting portraits for their wealthy patrons. As photography was nonexistent in those times, the only way people could preserve their own images and those of their family members for posterity was to hire an artist to paint them. It is interesting in an historical sense to see the interiors of peoples’ houses and the modes of dress at different periods in time.

The main focus of the ‘Old Masters’ presentation is on the Renaissance. I left out some important artists such as Giotto, Fra Angelico, Titian, and Rubens, Holbein, and Gainsborough, amongst others, in the interests of the economy of space and the length of the project. I included the last few artists as examples of the transition period between the High Renaissance and the emergence of modern art. Some paintings are known by two titles; I put the second titles within parentheses.

An important observation to make as students go through the slides is that for most of the artists of the period, religion had a central place in their thoughts and in their lives. In present-day North America, at least, this fact is not that readily comprehensible to many of our students. An historical debate on ‘then’ and ‘now’ morals, ethics, and traditional religions is not out of place within the context of the project material presented.

As the class begins to have a comprehensive exposure to styles in art, each student will be forming likes and dislikes of this work or that work, this style or that style. Some students will be fascinated by one individual artist, others will enjoy a particular art movement in a general sense.

Students can do research, and gather the slides they need for a PowerPoint presentation with paintings mounted on slides, interspersed with written biographical or stylistic information, or alternately for a slide show from My Pictures if they choose to do an oral presentation.