Jonathan P. Ribner is Associate Professor in the Department of History of Art & Architecture at Boston University.
For experts, the book provides a refreshingly original synthesis from an important perspective. At the same time, individual chapters are very accessible and could serve as excellent readings in undergraduate classes, particularly because they introduce not just important paintings, but also key historical events and literary works. Classes in history or literature might also use it to place historical events or literary works in a broader context. Irrespective, however, of how the book enters into curricula, it will long serve as an essential introduction to the period for serious students of French art, literature, culture, and history. --David O'Brien, Nineteenth-Century Art Worldwide