In their day the French Impressionists were met with criticism and even disbelief, yet today their paintings are admired and collected worldwide. The leading members of the group included Edgar Degas, Claude Monet, Berthe Morisot, Camille Pissarro, Pierre-Auguste Renoir and Alfred Sisley, who dedicated themselves to working in oil paints out of doors, to capturing the transient effects of light and weather and depicting the society in which they lived. These artists challenged the traditions of the French Academy, bringing about a revolution in art during a period of enormous political and social change.


Historical Dictionary of Impressionism contains a chronology, an introduction, and an extensive bibliography, as well as practical information on the eight Impressionist exhibitions. The dictionary section comprises cross-referenced entries on the French Impressionists, the locations they worked in (both in France and further afield), their predecessors and followers, and their models, critics and dealers. It also contains useful entries on key political events and figures, as well as the places of entertainment that sprang up all over Paris in the 'belle époque'. This book is designed to appeal to students, researchers and the general reader.