Anne Robbins – författare

A wide-ranging exploration of the birth of impressionism centered around the landmark exhibition in Paris in 1874  “The catalogue, in unusual tall format, is particularly attractive and vivacious, full of fresh material and images, expanding the Impressionist cast of characters, exploring Paris as their tumultuous inspiration.”—Jackie Wullschläger, Financial Times, “Best Books of 2024: Art, Design and Fashion”  Discover the origins of impressionism in this revelatory look at the context for the radical 1874 exhibition that is considered the birth of the French art movement. Featuring works by not only Cézanne, Degas, Monet, Morisot, Pissarro, Renoir, and Sisley, but also many other lesser-known participants and those who exhibited at the official Salon that year, this book explores how artists of the time responded to the shifting social and political currents during this singular moment in history, as well as the norms that these artists rebelled against in their new approach to art. This is a milestone reunion of many of the show’s artworks, which include paintings, works on paper, prints, and sculptures, that made the exhibition held by the société anonyme 150 years ago an event of international and lasting significance.  Paris 1874 draws on new scholarship to offer a multidisciplinary approach to impressionism. It explores the important role played by the contemporary press and also contextualizes the movement in relation to the devastation of the Franco-Prussian War and the Commune, as well as the subsequent process of reconstruction. Above all, it challenges established narratives surrounding the origins of impressionism itself by reexamining its position within the larger artistic landscape, particularly in relation to the Salon—which exhibited works strikingly similar to those included in société anonyme’s exhibition. With an engaging design that uses motifs from archival materials to suggest the look of Parisian publications of the 1870s, this book is a handsome and compelling addition to our understanding of the dawn of impressionism and why it is considered a pivotal moment in the history of Western art. Distributed for the National Gallery of Art, Washington Exhibition Schedule:Musée d’Orsay, Paris(March 25–July 14, 2024)National Gallery of Art, Washington, DC(September 8, 2024–January 19, 2025)

Mary Cassatt: Radical Impressionist is a richly illustrated publication on the life and work of the Impressionist artist, exploring her portraits, innovative prints, and groundbreaking vision of modern womanhood.Mary Cassatt (1844-1926) was a pioneering impressionist, a transatlantic trailblazer, and a fierce advocate of independence. This publication offers fresh and authoritative perspectives on one of the most influential artists of the later 19th and early 20th centuries, placing portraiture, identity and modern womanhood at the centre of Cassatt’s practice.The publication explores Cassatt's career through the unifying theme of independence, tracing her artistic development across Europe and the United States. Essays by an international group of scholars examine her training, her role within the Impressionist circle, and her distinctive portrayals of women in both private and public life. Particular attention is given to Cassatt’s portraits of family, friends and professional sitters, revealing how autonomy, visibility and social change shaped her work.Featuring paintings, pastels and prints from European and American collections, many rarely reproduced, the book also consider Cassatt’s influence on the transatlantic art market, her innovative printmaking, and her landmark Modern Women commission. Newly researched archival material and unpublished letters deepen our understanding of her artistic ambitions and political convictions, including her commitment to women’s suffrage.An essential reference on Mary Cassatt, portraiture and modern identity, this publication re-evaluates Cassatt through new scholarship and celebrates a landmark international collaboration with the Musee d’Orsay, Paris, National Portrait Gallery, London, and the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston.

The extraordinary story behind Degas’s groundbreaking painting of the African-American circus performer Miss La La. Edgar Degas’s Miss La La at the Cirque Fernando (1879) is one of only two paintings by the artist representing people of colour. Miss La La, born Anna Albertine Olga Brown to a white Prussian mother and African-American father, was a renowned performer of extraordinary daring in fin-de-siècle Paris. Exploring the fascinating story behind Degas’s painting, this is the first in-depth study to focus on the sitter’s identity, presenting new research on her life and career, as well as unpublished photographic material tracing her tour across Europe. The book also analyses the genesis of Degas’s work, from his rapid sketches completed on the spot to his more elaborate preparatory drawings and pastels. The son of a Creole mother from New Orleans, Degas travelled to Louisiana in 1872–73, which was to have a lasting impact on his art. This book examines the artist’s complex attitudes to ethnicity in relation to his own family background, and the representation of multiracial people in late nineteenth-century France. Published by National Gallery Global Ltd/Distributed by Yale University Press