This book analyses the various strains of the Impressionist movement, which originated in France and spread all over Europe and to America over the course of the second half of the nineteenth century. After the first few chapters entirely dedicated to the founders of Impressionism (Manet, Monet, Degas and Renoir), the book explores the works of the French, Italian, Spanish, Russian and lastly American masters who were influenced by plein air painting, before concluding with two chapters devoted to the movement's offshoots: Pointillism and Post-Impressionism. The book is illustrated with over 400 art works, many of them enhanced by magnified details. Biographies of the main artists and an index of names conclude the volume.
