Book excerpt: At the end of the nineteenth century Scotland was one of the most powerful industrial nations in the world. Huge wealth was generated in cities such as Glasgow, Aberdeen and Dundee and this period saw the emergence of a new breed of mercantile art collector, eager to invest in modern European art. This book is the first to explore the Scottish taste for Impressionism and Post-Impressionism c.1865-1930 and the impact of this art on two generations of Scottish artists. The term 'Impressionism' was then applied to artists as diverse as Corot, Whistler and the Glasgow Boys, as well as Monet, Degas and their contemporaries and the essays in this book - by leading scholars in the field - address a number of themes, including the influence of Dutch and French Realism on Scottish art, modern life imagery in the work of the Glasgow Boys, the taste for Whistler and his importance for Scottish art; William Burrell's collection of Impressionist pictures; and the impact of French art on the Scottish Colourists. Published to accompany the major exhibition Impressionism and Scotland (2008). AUTHOR: Dr Frances Fowle holds a joint post as Senior Curator of French Art at the National Gallery of Scotland and Lecturer in Art History at the University of Edinburgh. She has published widely on nineteenth century art, collecting and the art market and her publications include Monet and French Landscape (Edinburgh 2006) and (with Richard Thomson) Soil and Stone: Impressionism, Urbanism, Environment (London 2003). 160 colour & 40 b/w illustrations