The New Painting, Impressionism, 1874-1886: An Exhibition Organized by the Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco With the National Gallery of Art, Washington

Rating:
Summary: A trip to the Salons of Paris
Review: A catalogue/book of a 1986 exhibition organised by the Fine Arts Museum of San Francisco with the National Gallery of Art, Washington.

An invaluable resource for anyone interested in the Impressionist period in modern art. The book begins with essays entitled: ' The Impressionists and Edouard Manet'; 'The New Painting:Concerning the Group of Artists Exhibiting at the Durand-Ruel Galleries'; 'The Intransigent Artist or How The Impressionists Got Their Name'; 'The End of Impressionism';

The works are arranged around the catalogues of each of the Impressionist exhibitions in Paris (1974, 1876, 1877, 1879, 1880, 1881, 1882, 1886). Each section includes readable essays on the particular exhibition, and reproductions of and notes on the paintings represented in the San Francisco/ Washington exhibition , as well as reproductions of the catalogs of the original Impressionist exhibitions.

The quality of reproductions is very high, given the limitations of still enabling the book to remain affordable to the generalist reader.

There is a wealth of detail in this comprehensive work. The book would be a valuable addiditon to any secondary school, college or public library collection.

Highly recommended.