ABSTRACT
Those who regularly consult eighteenth-century texts or, referring to these sources turn to examine the works of these masters, will notice the particular concern shown towards the material aspects of the work and its technique, seen as elements which are intrinsic to the very nature of the painting; it is a serene vision of the relationship between materials and the image, which was unique and perhaps can never again be repeated. The nineteenth century did not lose this concern, but the Romantic cult of the will, combined with an idealistic vision of art as material expression of thought, meant that techniques were considered increasingly as an instrument; they would continue to be the subject of discussion, but the tone and contexts would be different.
