Masters Of French Painting, 1290-1920 presents 138 of the most significant and representative works of art in the Wadsworth Atheneum's internationally recognised collection of French paintings and pastels, ranging from religious subjects, such as Nicolas Poussin's magnificent The Crucifixion (1644-6) and Noel Halle's tender and human Holy Family (1753) to Toulouse-Lautrec's Jane Avril Leaving the Moulin Rouge (1892). As the first public art museum in the U.S., the Wadsworth Atheneum paved the way for encyclopaedic museums across the country. Founded by Daniel Wadsworth, the Atheneum opened in 1844 with 79 paintings and three sculptures, and today holds more than 50,000 works of art. Masters of French Painting, 1290-1920 provides scholars and researchers with an up-to-date resource on French art, and art-lovers with a beautifully illustrated guide to this remarkable collection. Contents: Foreword Acknowledgements Introduction List of Artists in the Catalogue Catalogue Glossary Selected References Photographic Credits Index AUTHOR: Eric M. Zafran is the Susan Morse Hilles Curator of European Art at the Wadsworth Atheneum, where he has worked since 1997. Previously he was Curator of European Paintings at the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston where he wrote the first volume of the museum's Catalogue of French Paintings. He is also the author of publications on Rembrandt, Monet, Gauguin, Dore, and Calder. ILLUSTRATIONS: 175 colour & 70 b/w *