The Impressionists at Leisure

New York: Thames & Hudson, 2007. Cloth, 176 pages, illustrations (chiefly colour), portraits (some colour); 28 cm. Firm binding, clean inside copy. Dust jacket protected in a mylar book cover. OVERSIZE! No priority/international, except by special arrangement. Richly illustrated with colour plates. :"Whether it is Monet's families by the sea or Renoir's picnickers in the countryside, Manet's flaneurs strolling in parks or Degas's elegant racegoers, Morisot's opera enthusiasts or Caillebotte's oarsmen, the Impressionists all sought to capture the new world of recreation as well as enjoying a great deal of it themselves." "Featuring a broad and original selection of works as well as contemporary photographs and excerpts from diaries and letters, this book brings to life the many happy moments recorded in Impressionist paintings. It also documents the artists' own passions, from bustling bars and restaurants in Paris to tranquil days on the river, from ice rinks and markets to gardens and seaside holidays." "The book is an account of the new leisure society of the nineteenth century. It reaffirms the position of the Impressionists as the artists who best knew how to enjoy life, and should appeal to all who aspire to do likewise." - Publisher. CONTENTS: 1. A Time to Meet: Cafe Society, Bars, Restaurants and Dance Halls; 2. A Time to Enjoy: Racing, Theatre, Opera, Music Halls and Ballet; 3. A Time to Relax: Picnics, Parks and Gardens; 4. A Time to Reflect: Boating and Bathing; 5. A Time to Shop: Streets and the City, Department Stores and Arcades; 6. A Time to Depart: Travelling and Transport; 7. A Time to Escape: Fresh Air, Rural Life, Walking and the Countryside.. 1st. Hardcover. Fine/Fine. 4to. Collectible.