cover image The Impressionist Revolution

The Impressionist Revolution

. Bulfinch Press, $40 (0pp) ISBN 978-0-8212-1663-7

How the French impressionists revolted against the superficial tastes of their time, and in so doing changed the course of art, is by now a familiar story. But British art critic Bernard (Vincent by Himself brings a fresh approach to this episode. Concise, illustrated biographies of seven key impressionists are followed by 135 full-page color reproductions of both well-known and seldom-seen paintings. Manet the respectable rebel, Pissarro the honest visionary, Renoir, chronicler of the pleasures of looking and livingthese and other characterizations are hardly original, but the essays flesh out each man, showing how his art was rooted in uncompromising principles. Also here are Sisley, Degas, Cezanne and Monet. The diversified choice of paintings, superior quality of the reproductions and apt commentaries make this a volume that anyone interested in impressionism would want to own. (April 15)