IMPRESSIONISM (ART AND IDEAS)

Celebrations of city streets; tranquil vistas of the countryside and seashore; enchanting images of the leisured classes in domestic interiors or at fashionable Parisian cafés - the work of the Impressionists gives pleasure to art lovers everywhere. But while Impressionism today may appear ‘natural’ and effortless, contemporaries were shocked by the loose handling of paint and the practice of painting out-of-doors. In defiance of the conservative official Salon, the Impressionists sought to capture the immediacy of experience. This book brings together the most recent research on Impressionism. James Rubin makes accessible its philosophical, political and social context. As well as the acknowledged masters, our attention is drawn to lesser known Impressionists such as Berthe Morisot, Mary Cassatt and Gustave Caillebotte.