The Presence of the Past in French Art, 1870-1905This innovative book introduces a vivid new reading of French art and society at a crucial period of history The study of late nineteenth and early twentieth century French art tends to focus on a search for the modern. Richard Thomson presents an innovative approach to a popular period of art history, instead investigating how art in early Third Republic France adapted styles from the past. The classical is the predominant theme, punctuated by other