68 treasures of Massachusetts museum: Homer, Sargent, Cassatt, Inness, Remington in depth.

The core of the Clark's collection was assembled by Robert Sterling Clark (1877-1956), who once declared, "I like all kinds of art if it is good of its kind." This monumental, two-volume publication is the first fully documented catalogue of the Institute's collection of European paintings. The quality of this collection reflects the founder's philosophy in its inclusion of masterpieces as diverse as William-Adolphe Bouguereau's Nymphs and Satyr (1873) and Pierre-Auguste Renoir's A Box at the Theater (1880); works by academic painters such as Jean-Léon Gérôme; Barbizon painters such as Camille Corot and Jean-François Millet; and the Impressionists Camille Pissarro and Edgar Degas. More recent acquisitions include Théodore Rousseau's Farm in the Landes (1844-67) and Claude Monet's Rouen Cathedral (1894), and works by John Constable and J. M. W. Turner. Published on the 100th anniversary of Sterling Clark's first purchase of a European painting, these handsome volumes document each of the 374 paintings in the collection, with essays by prominent scholars, detailed bibliographic and art historical apparatus, technical notes, and over 450 color illustrations. Distributed for the Sterling and Francine Clark Art Institute

The Sterling and Francine Clark Art Institute in Williamstown, Mass., which opened in 1955, was founded by an heir to the Singer sewing machine fortune, Robert Sterling Clark (1877-1956), who began collecting art in Paris in 1911. He had a strong interest in 19th-century painters, particularly the French impressionists and Americans Winslow Homer and John Singer Sargent, but the museum also has old-master paintings, prints, drawings, decorative arts, sculpture and illustrated books. Eighty-four of these are reproduced in fine color in this elegant volume. Included are such disparate works as Virgin and Child Enthroned with Four Angels by Piero della Francesca; the once immensely popular Nymphs and Satyr by Bouguereau; paintings by Monet, Renoir and other impressionists; decorative urns, cups and baskets in silver and porcelain; and a sheet of pen-and-ink animal studies by Albrecht Durer. The accompanying essays, by 10 current and former staff members, are insightful and readable. This is a splendid introduction to a small, delightful collection. 88 colour & 5 b/w illustrations

Winslow Homer (1836-1910) is one of the core figures of 19th-century American art. While most well-known for his oil paintings of Civil War scenes and the windswept Atlantic coastline, Homer's oeuvre encompasses a variety of themes, ranging from childhood games through the life-and-death struggles of man and nature. The Clark Art Institute holds one of the greatest collections of Homer's work across all media, including wood engravings, etchings, watercolors, drawings, and paintings from nearly all phases of his career. The collection was assembled predominately by Robert Sterling Clark (1877-1956), who purchased his first Winslow Homer painting in 1915, followed by Two Guides in 1916 and maintained a passion for the artist throughout the rest of his collecting career, acquiring the small oil Playing a Fish in 1955. This book examines Robert Sterling Clark as a collector of Homer and the Clark's extensive holdings of the artist. Over thirty entries discuss the role of individual works in Homer's oeuvre and their larger significance to the art world. An illustrated checklist provides information on titles, dates, and media for the entire collection. Distributed for the Sterling and Francine Clark Art Institute Exhibition Schedule: Sterling and Francine Clark Art Institute (06/09/13-09/08/13)

Chiefly the books acquired by Sterling Clark beginning in Paris, 1911. Some 40 illustrations, eight in color, embellish this exhibition catalog. Roeper provides expert commentary. A charming piece of book art at a humble price. Available from Sterling and Francine Clark Art Institute, Museum Shop, 225 South Street, Williamstown, MA 01267. Annotation copyrighted by Book News, Inc., Portland, OR

Catalog of an exhibition organized by the J. Paul Getty Museum and the Sterling and Francine Clark Art Institute, held in Williamstown, Mass., June 5-Sept. 5, 2004.