This book is not an attempt to investigate the history of art; on the contrary, the basic assumption is that the paintings of the Impressionists are already well-known to the public at large. Instead, the intention is that of slipping behind the scenes to illustrate with over 200 contemporary photographs the society in which these artists lived: the schools and the ateliers they frequented, the masters who preceded them, the galleries where they displayed their works, the support they received, and their detractors - the official artists of the Second Empire, critics, and visitors to the first exhibitions. The Impressionists examines the period between 1874 - when the first exhibition of the Impressionists was held at the studio of the photographer Nadar - and 1887, the eighth and final show, after which the group split up, each member then pursuing his own way thereafter. By illustrating the protagonists in overall terms, this book aims to complement the many art books already dealing with this well-known and much-quoted art movement. The book also contains a gallery of wonderful Impressionist paintings - six each by Edgar Degas, Pierre-Auguste Renoir, Paul Cezanne, and Claude Monet.