No aspect of American art commands as much interest and appreciation as American Impressionism. Lavishly illustrated and gracefully written, The Golden Age of American Impressionism explores the full range of artistic achievement within this popular movement, with masterworks by such distinguished artists as Mary Cassatt, Childe Hassam, Theodore Robinson, John Twachtman, and Julian Alden Weir, among others.

Defining an artistic era or movement is often a difficult task, as one tries to group individualistic expressions and artwork under one broad brush. Such is the case with impressionism, which culls together the art of a multitude of painters in the mid-19th century, including Monet, Cézanne, Renoir, Degas, and van Gogh. Basically, impressionism involved the shedding of traditional painting methods. The subjects of art were taken from everyday life, as opposed to the pages of mythology and history. In addition, each artist painted to express feelings of the moment instead of hewing to time-honoured standards. This description of impressionism, obviously, is quite broad and can apply to a wide array of styles. Nonetheless, it remains a very important school in the annals of art. Any current or budding art aficionado should become familiar with the impressionist movement and its impact on the art world. This book presents a sweeping study of this artistic period, from its origins to its manifestations in the works of some of art history's most revered painters. Following this overview is a substantial and selective bibliography, featuring access through author, title, and subject indexes.

The Art Institute of Chicago, although renowned for its holdings of works by the French Impressionists, also houses a wealth of superb examples by American proponents of this distinctive style. The breadth of the museum's collection of American Impressionism is rich, with a substantial body of paintings and watercolors by Winslow Homer, who is seen today as a precursor to Impressionism, as well as impressive portfolios of work by Americans living in Europe, such as James McNeill Whistler and John Singer Sargent, and the only American who was officially part of the French group, Mary Cassatt. In addition, important paintings and watercolors by notable artists such as Cecilia Beaux, William Merritt Chase, Childe Hassam, George Inness, Mauric Prendergast, and John Twachtman are included, along with handsomely reproduced images by lesser-known artists who worked in the Impressionist vein. Distributed for the Art Institute of Chicago

The Art Institute of Chicago, although renowned for its holdings of works by the French Impressionists, also houses a wealth of superb examples by American proponents of this distinctive style. The breadth of the museum's collection of American Impressionism is rich, with a substantial body of paintings and watercolors by Winslow Homer, who is seen today as a precursor to Impressionism, as well as impressive portfolios of work by Americans living in Europe, such as James McNeill Whistler and John Singer Sargent, and the only American who was officially part of the French group, Mary Cassatt. In addition, important paintings and watercolors by notable artists such as Cecilia Beaux, William Merritt Chase, Childe Hassam, George Inness, Mauric Prendergast, and John Twachtman are included, along with reproduced images of lesser-known artists who worked in the Impressionist vein.

An examination of the continuities and differences between American Impressionism and Realism. Copyright © Libri GmbH. All rights reserved.

Lavishly illustrated with more than 400 paintings by 125 different artists, this volume contains documentary photographs of the artists and quotations from their private letters and journals complementing the text. Beginning with a brief prelude discussing the roots of Impressionism in America and its relationship to French Impressionism, Gerdts recounts the early adventures of American artists in Claude Monet's village of Giverny, evaluates Impressionism's progress from an avant-garde aesthetic to its triumph during the 1813 Chicago World Fair and its replacement by the radical styles of Cubism and Futurism. Also studies how Impressionism flourished across the United States and includes an exhaustive bibliography. Among the masters reproduced are Childe Hassam, John Twachtman, Edmund Tarbell, and Frederick Frieseke. ISBN 0-89659-451-3 : $85.00. (For use only in the library).