As the center of the art world in the late nineteenth century, Paris was a magnet for American art students and artists. They flocked to the studios of French artists like Jean-Léon Gérôme,
William Bouguereau, and others, dreamed of showing their work at the annual Paris Salon, and watched intently as new styles such as Impressionism began to take hold. Hardly an American
painter was unaffected by developments in Paris, and even those who chose not to study there wanted their work to be affirmed by French audiences and taste makers.
This beautifully illustrated book traces the role of American artists in Paris from the Salon des Refusés, in 1863, to the emergence of a uniquely American style of painting at the turn of
the century. It includes iconic images by John Singer Sargent, James Abbott McNeill Whistler, Mary Cassatt, and Winslow Homer, and by many other artists whose names and work were more widely
known then than now.
Engaging essays written by notable scholars explore why artists were drawn to Paris, how they responded to what they found there, and what they retained of their experience. In addition, the
significance of the Expositions Universelles, the French view of American artists in Paris, and the role these artists played in shaping the great American collections of modern French
painting are discussed. Featuring more than 100 paintings, the essays are followed by artists’ biographies, an illustrated, annotated list of works, and a complete bibliography.
