Book review

The Art Of The Impressionists by Horst Keller
Published by Phaidon, Oxford, 1980

Reviewed by HUGH FOSTER

There are so many picture-books on the art of the Impressionists that readers might easily miss Phaidon's latest publication on this subject among the mass of its siblings. Horst Keller's essay, however, (it was originally brought out by a German publisher) makes a genuine contribution to a deeper understanding of the Impressionist movement. From notes made over some years of visiting the paintings in the most richly endowed museums of Europe and America (Dr Keller is Director of the Wallraf Richartz Museum in Cologne), he sets out the context, and takes a new look at the foreshadowing of Impressionist painting in the English plein-air painters and the Barbizon school as well as the revolt of individualist painters such as Van Gogh, Gauguin and Cezanne, that was to follow.

GUSTAVE CAILLEBOTTE
The Parquet Planers

In addition to Dr Keller's intelligent text, this book has the advantage of the most stunning collection of colour reproductions that I have seen in a long time. The colour looks true; the plates have a soft brilliance that is never gaudy; and the generous selection includes some works unfamiliar to me at least: such as Gustave Caillebotte's striking composition, The parquet planers. A work by Claude Monet reproduced in this book, The weeping willow c1923 (plate 104) is evidence of how this painter anticipated the developments of Abstract Expressionism from the late ninteen-forties.

Phaidon's timely book prompts the reflection that there are always; going to be new generations to make a fresh discovery of these beautiful and genuinely innovative paintings.