Synopses & Reviews
The Art Institute of Chicago has one of the largest and finest holdings of late 19th-century French art in the world. This lavishly illustrated book features over ninety paintingsand#8212;nearly the entire collectionand#8212;engagingly discussed in terms of the context in which so much memorable art was produced. It offers a fascinating overview of the Impressionist movement and its legacy, drawing upon the latest art-historical findings.
The volume explores works by artists who sought official sanction by the French Academy, from Manetand#8212;notorious for his bold and direct styleand#8212;to Boudin and Jongkind, who are known for their light effects and deft brushwork. Paintings by Caillebotte, Degas, Monet, Pissarro, and Sisley offer insight on such topics as contemporary life, the changing quality of light, and painting outdoors. Another section examines the works of artists who were influenced by Impressionismand#160;and compelled to explore new avenues of expression, including those of Cand#233;zanne, Gauguin, Van Gogh, Seurat, and Toulouse-Lautrec.
Each image, handsomely reproduced, exemplifies the diversity of ideas and extraordinary wealth of talent at work in late 19th-century France. A fascinating illustrated chronology of the formation of this world-renowned collection is also included.
Synopsis
Published on the occasion of a historic exhibition of the Art Institute's collection at Kimbell Art Museum, Fort Worth.
About the Author
Douglas W. Druick is Searle Curator of Medieval through Modern European Painting and Sculpture and Prince Trust Curator of Prints and Drawings at the Art Institute of Chicago. He is coauthor of Jasper Johns: Gray (Yale). Gloria Groom is Mary and Winton Green Curator of Medieval through Modern European Painting and Sculpture at the Art Institute of Chicago and author of Beyond the Easel (Yale).