In 1892 Degas painting In the Cafe was sold for a mere 180guineas at auction, with the public hissing as the hammer fell.Less than a century later another Impressionist work, Renoir sMoulin de la Galette, sold at Sotheby s for $78 million,accompanied by enthusiastic applause. In this history-cummemoirPhilip Hook, Senior Director of Sotheby s Impressionistand Modern Art department, examines the public s change ofheart toward Impressionism. Starting with its shocking noveltyand confounding style, he traces the impact of the Impressionistpainting as it spread to Germany, America, and Great Britain,polarizing modernists and conservatives. Equally fascinating isthe story of Impressionism s change in status. More thanexceptionally pretty pictures, Impressionist works havebecome a currency in their own right, being bought and soldlike blue-chip stock coveted as much for their monetaryworth as for their intrinsic beauty. Drawn from Hook s ownexperiences with art collectors and dealers, this...