Studies in Impressionism

French impressionists had fervent friends and loyal supporters. Chief among their promoters was Paul Durand-Ruel, an art dealer who bought their pictures steadily even when he wasn't able to sell them. Then there was Victor Chocquet, a collector who maintained a 15-year friendship with Cezanne and purchased many of his canvases. In this miscellany of essays and articles, some of which are translated from French for the first time, noted art historian Rewald (The History of Impressionism looks at various Impressionists' personal and familial relationships. While most of the pieces are marginal or slight, the graceful writing and an abundance of illustrations hold the reader's interest. One essay limns Parisian journalist Edmond Renoir, brother of the painter, who wrote a glowing review of Auguste's first one-man show. Other articles deal with Degas's inventive realism in racetrack and cafe scenes, unjustly forgotten French artist Achille Emperaire and Cezanne's tug-of-war with his authoritarian father. (April)