Promenades of an Impressionist

At the Paris Autumn Salon, James Huneker finds new painters testing the authority of their predecessors. His essays in Promenades of an Impressionist examine painting, sculpture and printmaking through descriptions of individual works and arguments about artistic taste. The opening chapter considers Paul Cézanne's harsh colours, stubborn working habits and standing among younger artists, while questioning whether their enthusiasm produces originality or imitation.

The contents range from Rodin and Botticelli to Monet, Renoir and Manet, followed by visits to museums in cities including Amsterdam, Brussels and Madrid. In the discussion of black and white art, Anders Zorn's portraits and Frank Brangwyn's etchings prompt observations about line, atmosphere, scale and mass. Huneker also draws on literature and music when comparing artistic methods. Readers interested in criticism can follow how a forceful personal response develops into a judgment about a picture.