The New Painting: Impressionism, 1874-1886

Geneva: Richard Burton SA, Publishers, 1986. Hardcover. NF/VG (small repaired tear at dj spine). Navy blue cloth/boards; gilt lettering. Color-illus. dj with white lettering. 507 pp. with 160 color plates, many accompanied by additional color and bw figures. With color and bw figures throughout essays as well. Heavy at 6 pounds and will require a bit of extra postage. Catalogue from the exhibition held at the National Gallery of Art, Washington, 19 Jan.-6 Apr., 1986 and the Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco, M.H. de Young Memorial Museum, 19 Apr.-6 July, 1986. Covers 8 landmark Impressionist shows held between 1874 and 1886. This opulent catalog to an intriguing exhibit at the National Gallery and San Francisco's Fine Arts Museum offers a fresh approach to a familiar subject. Its goal is to re-create the impact of this avant-garde movement in contemporary terms, making us reconcile our modern, inherited notions of its "newness" with its original values. To this end, it presents cross-sections of the eight landmark Impressionist shows and forces us to view the works as individual entities as well as in their actual context, as they were selected by their creators to be publicly encountered. Scholarly essays address the evolution of Impressionism as well as the diversity of the complex group of artists involved. High-quality reproductions and catalog entries, along with interesting supplementary materials. - from Library Journal.