In her thoughtful, cogent text, art historian Diane Kelder traces the development of Impressionism from its roots in landscape and Realist painting through its focus on modern urban life to its ultimate goal: to fix on canvas the fleeting moods and effects of nature in a world that stands still for no one. The author examines in detail the lives and works of all the major Impressionists and Post-Impressionists, including Manet, Monet, Renoir, Degas, Toulouse-Lautrec, Seurat, and Cezanne, and shows how their work influenced others in the movement, ultimately giving rise to the new art of the twentieth century. Weaving into her narrative fascinating anecdotes with excerpts from contemporary essays and letters, Professor Kelder brings to life the France that was shocked by the Impressionists' revolutionary artistic vision. These pages form a testament to that vision: a revolution that endured.

This edition includes new scholarship as well as more complete backmatter and a new index.