The late 19th century in France is indisputably the most popular period in the history of Western art. This book gathers together more than 300 in depth biographies of artists (some as long as 8500 words) from this ground-breaking era. It highlights the work of painters who brought about the artistic revolutions of Realism, Impressionism and Post Impressionism from Millet and Courbet, to household names such as Monet, Manet, Renoir and Degas, as well as Cezanne and Gauguin. Sculptors and graphic artists, among them Rodin and Toulouse Lautrec, are also included.