"Discover how scenes of daily life and delicate dabs of color shocked the art world establishment. In this introduction to Impressionism, we explore the artists, subjects, and techniques that first brought the easel out of the studio and shifted artistic attention from history, religion, or portraiture to the evanescent ebb and flow of modern life. As we tour the theaters, bars, and parks of Paris and beyond, we take in the movement's radical innovations...

This book presents the prime protagonists of Cubism, with work from artists including Pablo Picasso, Georges Braque, Fernand Leger, Juan Gris, Albert Gleizes, and Robert Delaunay.

"Hailed the 'Prince of the Impressionists', Claude Monet (1840-1926) transformed expectations for the purpose of paint on canvas. Defying the precedent of centuries, Monet did not seek to render only reality, but the act of perception itself. Working 'en plein air' with rapid, impetuous brush strokes, he interrogated the play of light on the hues, patterns, and contours and the way in which these visual impressions fall upon the eye. Monet's interest...

After flirtations with Realism, Impressionism, and Symbolism, Kiev-born Kazimir Malevich (1878-1935) found his metier in dissolving literal, representational figures and landscapes into pure, emotionally-charged abstraction. In 1915, he created what is widely lauded as the first and ultimate abstract artwork: Black Square (1915), a black rectangle on a white background, hailed as the zero point of painting, a seminal moment for modern and abstract...

Capturing fleeting moments: Degas's mastery in the depiction of movement. In terms of both theme and technique, the key to understanding the early works of Edgar Degas (1834-1917) is classical painting. Although he was eventually associated with the Impressionists and even participated in their joint exhibitions, Degas never adopted a purely Impressionist approach. Degas's work, reflecting an extremely personal and psychological perspective, emphasizes...

With his instantly recognizable decorative style, Czech artist and Art Nouveau master Alphonse Mucha (1860-1939) defined the look of the fin-de-siecle. In evocative shades of peach, gold, ochre and olive, his seductive compositions of patterns, flowers and beautiful women became a mainstay of illustration, posters, postcards, and advertising designs of the day. In particular, his posters of star actress Sarah Bernhardt have become paradigms of the...