The Art Institute of Chicago has one of the largest and finest holdings of late-19th-century French art in the world. This lavishly illustrated book features over ninety paintings - nearly the entire collection - engagingly discussed in terms of the context in which so much memorable art was produced. It offers a fascinating overview of the Impressionist movement and its legacy, drawing upon the latest art-historical findings.The volume first explores works by artists who sought official sanction by the French Academy, from Edouard Manet, notorious for his bold and direct style, to Boudin and Jongkind, known for their light effects and deft brushwork. Paintings by Caillebotte, Degas, Monet, Pissarro, and Sisley offer insight on such topics as contemporary life, the changing quality of light, and painting outdoors. The final section examines works of artists influenced by Impressionism but compelled to explore new avenues of expression, including those of Cezanne, Gauguin, Van Gogh, Seurat, and Toulouse-Lautrec.Each image, handsomely reproduced, exemplifies the diversity of ideas and extraordinary wealth of talent at work in late-19th-century France. A fascinating illustrated chronology of the formation of this world-renowned collection is also included.