One of the better entries in a series that approaches artists through first-person reminiscences, ostensibly addressed by the artist to a guest. Though the device has its pitfalls-- some entries have been prolix and, worse, coy--Beneduce uses it creatively to explore the evolution, techniques, personal history, accomplishments, and most significant works of the great ``American Impressionist'' who tried Paris but came home to celebrate nature, especially in dramatic scenes of the sea and of country people at work. The illustrations here (some of the paintings, plus the period photos and engravings, are in b&w) are less striking than those in the concurrently published A Weekend with Rousseau, by Gilles Plazy ($19.95; ISBN: 0-8478-1717-2), but they are more carefully placed, while Beneduce's lucid, longer text is better organized and far superior to Plazy's confusingly arranged anecdotes. A fine introduction to an important American figure. (Biography. 8-12)
