Impressionism. Modernism

The book «Impressionism. Modernism» by Mikhail Yurievich German — a fundamental work that reveals the evolution of world art at the intersection of eras. An outstanding Russian art historian, an expert in French painting of the 18th–20th centuries and Russian art of the 19th–20th centuries, M. Yu. German has combined in this publication two large-scale works that allow for a new perspective on key artistic movements.

In the first part of the publication, the author offers his own interpretation of the history of Impressionism — a movement that originated in Paris in the second half of the 19th century and remains one of the most sought-after in the history of art. German closely traces the creative paths of great masters: Édouard Manet, Claude Monet, Edgar Degas, Auguste Renoir, and others. Special attention is paid to the influence of French Impressionist artists on the development of art in other countries, including Russia. This perspective allows us to see how ideas born in Parisian studios changed the artistic language far beyond the borders of France.

The second part of the book is dedicated to modernism — the art's response to the rapid changes in the reality of the 20th century. It was a search for new means of expression capable of reflecting the rapidly changing world. M. Yu. German turns to the works of iconic masters of the era: Picasso and Matisse, Brancusi and Klee, Modigliani and Soutine, Kandinsky and Malevich, Duchamp and Man Ray. Through the analysis of their works, the author shows how new artistic systems were formed and how the masterpieces of modernists significantly changed the perception of the world.

The publication is valuable not only for the depth of analysis but also for its visual clarity: it is equipped with inserts containing illustrations that help relate theoretical reflections to specific works.

The work of M. Yu. German — is an opportunity to trace how art reacted to pivotal moments in history and to understand the internal contradictions of the processes occurring in the artistic environment at the turn of the century. The book serves as a reliable guide into the world of Impressionism and Modernism, revealing the connection between great masters and global changes in culture.