Edmund C. Tarbell (1862-1938) was renowned for his refined and distinctly New England interiors as well as vibrant outdoor paintings of his family. His work and his mentorship of two generations of artists came to define the Boston School. A member of Boston's Tavern and St. Botolph's clubs, he was also known to join a game of scrub baseball with workers from the Portsmouth Naval Shipyard. Although he led two of the most prestigious art schools in the Northeast, he got himself expelled from high school to avoid college so he could paint full-time. Growing up in Boston, and living for 30 years in New Castle, New Hampshire, Tarbell was a quintessential cultured and unpretentious Yankee, and his art reflected his character. He remained committed to time-honored techniques and craftsmanship while creating his own innovations in depicting light and modern life on canvas. Impressionism Transformed addresses the cultural context in which Tarbell developed as a leading painter of his day. Written by noted historians of American art and based in part on newly-available family papers, it features a select group of 42 paintings, including several recently-rediscovered works, which reflect the breadth of Tarbell's artistic achievements.

Susan Strickler, Director of The Currier Gallery of Art, has organized many major exhibitions and gallery installations, and is author of numerous books and articles including American Portrait Miniatures: The Worcester Art Museum Collection (1989).