Published in conjunction with an exhibition over a decade in the making, this exciting volume examines the influence of Claude Monet (1840–1926) on an entire generation of American artists. Monet and the other French Impressionists, who eschewed academic traditions of in favor of spontaneous brushstrokes, bright color palettes, and the transience of everyday reality.

Featuring works by Mary Cassatt, William Merritt Chase, Childe Hassam, Willard Metcalf, Theodore Robinson, John Henry Twachtman, and J. Alden Weir, this exhibition examines how the innovations of French Impressionism were adopted and transformed into one of the most enduring styles in American painting.

The works included in the exhibition span more than three decades, and this book includes eight essays that examine various aspects of history, culture, literature, and sociology to shed light on how American artists embraced and transformed the style and themes of Monet and other French artists.