Prominent art historians Philip Conisbee, Sarah Faunce, Jeremy Strick, Peter Galassi, and Vincent Pomarede discuss the cultural, theoretical, and art historical background of this school of outdoor painting. They examine the early history of open-air painting, its theory and practice, the sites of Rome and southern Italy that were painted, and the delicate balance that existed among realism, memory and imagination. A rich selection of representative paintings is discussed and reproduced. The book is the catalogue for an exhibition at the National Gallery of Art, Washington, the Brooklyn Museum, and the Saint Louis Art Museum.