Charles S. Moffett (1945–2015)

A catalogue/book of a 1986 exhibition organised by the Fine Arts Museum of San Francisco with the National Gallery of Art, Washington.
An invaluable resource for anyone interested in the Impressionist period in modern art. The book begins with essays entitled: ` The Impressionists and Edouard Manet'; `The New Painting:Concerning the Group of Artists Exhibiting at the Durand-Ruel Galleries'; `The Intransigent Artist or How The Impressionists Got Their Name'; `The End of Impressionism';

The show more works are arranged around the catalogues of each of the Impressionist exhibitions in Paris (1974, 1876, 1877, 1879, 1880, 1881, 1882, 1886). Each section includes readable essays on the particular exhibition, and reproductions of and notes on the paintings represented in the San Francisco/ Washington exhibition , as well as reproductions of the catalogs of the original Impressionist exhibitions.

The quality of reproductions is very high, given the limitations of still enabling the book to remain affordable to the generalist reader.

There is a wealth of detail in this comprehensive work. The book would be a valuable addiditon to any secondary school, college or public library collection.

Highly recommended. show less

In 1868, a newsreporter recalled an incident near Honfleur from the previous year: "It was in the winter, during several days of snow ... It was cold enough to split stones. We perceived a foot-warmer, then an easel, then a man, swathed in three coats, his hands in his gloves, his face half frozen. It was Monsieur Monet, studying a snow effect."

(House, John; Monet: Nature into Art; New Haven: Yale University Press 1986.)

I didn't see this exhibit, but purchased the catalog mainly because its show more title and subject so closely mirrored a research paper I had done a few years earlier for my Origins of Impressionism class on the winter landscapes of Claude Monet, for which the above quote was found.

The Impressionists in Winter exhibit, according to the preface, was inspired by the Phillips Collection's Snow at Louveciennes by Alfred Sisely (who I've heard aptly described as "Monet on a bad day"). show less

28cm x 23cm x 4.5cm (11.5" x 9" x 1.75") 548 pages, Hardback, ISBN 0870993593, 1983

Following the introduction are three essays: Manet's Pictorial Language, Manet and Impressionism, Manet and the Print. Then follows the catalogue - 460 pages. The book concludes with a Chronology; two appendices: Letters from Manet to Zola and Documents relating to the "Maximilian Affair"; Editions of the Prints; List of Exhibitions; Bibliography; and indices.

The catalogue lists 221 works, each accompanied by show more a commentary, often reasonably extensive, and illustrations. In total there are 323 black and white and 138 colour illustrations, many of them half to full page in size and occasionally including a detail view of the work. The illustrations also include sketches and photographs.

This is a substantial and comprehensive survey with good quality images. show less

Where do you find words for something this beautiful? I admit i don't have them. You will have to see it for yourself!