This catalogue and its companion volume of essays are published in conjunction with the exhibition "The Private Collection of Edgar Degas," held at The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, from October 1, 1997, to January 11, 1998.

At the end of the 19th century, a group of young Glasgow-based painters established an international reputation for realism and plein-air landscape painting. Led by James Guthrie, John Lavery, Arthur Melville, George Henry, and E. A. Hornel, the Glasgow Boys, as they came to be known, shared an enthusiasm for strong, fresh colors, naturalistic subject matter, and a willingness to travel outside Scotland for subjects and settings. Their enthusiasm for naturalism was equaled only by their dislike of the Scottish arts establishment. In this widely acclaimed book, Roger Billcliffe describes not only the work of the individual artists but also their rejection by local collectors and officialdom before European success caused their work to become much in demand. First published 20 years ago, the book rekindled interest in the group and their work. Now redesigned with more than 200 illustrations in color, it introduces the collective to a new generation of readers and collectors.