Many of the great works of impressionism are housed in private collections and are rarely or never seen by the public. Thanks to the generous co-operation of their owners, this book presents in colour, 92 of these masterpieces, many of which have never before been reproduced in an art book. Major paintings by Monet, Renoir, Pissarro, van Gogh and Gauguin are presented, along with others by second generation impressionists like Henri Martin, Charles Conder, Philip Wilson Steer, Rupert Bunny and John Peter Russell. Art historian Susanna de Vries-Evans presents a lucid commentary on the masterpieces she has chosen, including, where possible, a history of their ownership. She adds colourful anecdotal material on the artists, providing a bright and stimulating panorama of the Impressionist movement. The last part of the book gives detailed information on collectors of Impressionist art from 1874 onwards, with special reference to 20th-century private collections in Britain, Europe, America and Australasia, only some of which are open to the public in small but fascinating private art museums.