The term 'Post-Impressionist' was coined in 1910, to describe the work of the French painters of the 1880s and 90s - principally Cezanne, Gauguin and Van Gogh - but has never been a satisfactory label. In this lively survey and sophisticated reappraisal of a period of avant-garde experimentation, many minor as well as major artists are discussed and illustrated.

By concentrating on what the artists and contemporary critics did and said, and by looking at what the artists painted, the author raises very sharply the question of what 'Post-Impressionism' means and reveals a fascinating glimpse of personal rivalry, commercial pressures, individual initiatives and shifting allegiances - and no simple pattern at all.