The question of whether or not the art world has gone the way of -- well, the rest of the world, is still open to interpretation. It is now possible to purchase "unfashionable" Victorian paintings very cheaply. On the other hand, Damien Hirst's January auction of more than 200 pieces raised the grand total to an excess of $200m. The auction, organised by Sotheby's, took place just hours after the Lehman Brothers bank in New York declared bankruptcy. While the cutting edge of contemporary art has yet to be categorised, the first "modern" art, Impressionism, is dealt with very ably in this fascinating and timely book.

We begin our journey anecdotally; Hook is trying to sell a Monet to an Eastern potentate. The collector is looking at the painting with evident dissatisfaction, and complains that at the price which is being asked, he could buy several excellent classical works. In the Monet, one can hardly make out the subject; in classical paintings the subjects, along with the artist's technical prowess, are absolutely clear.

Yet Impressionism strives for a different, and some may argue higher, ideal; the fluid, often unfinished-looking paintings, comprised of garish colours and everyday scenes, aim to capture not history, or religion, but character and life. They invite interpretation from the onlooker. Anyone may understand the subject matter. The artists themselves weren't constrained to study under a classical master for years. The success of Impressionism symbolises the democratisation of art and as such makes for a fascinating subject.

First describing the political and sociological background which gave rise to the Impressionist movement in the second half of the 19th century.

Hook goes on to illustrate how the works of art were received over the years by the French, then the Americans, the Germans and the British. In discussing these receptions, the author draws upon contemporary politics, and reflects on the utility of art as a political barometer. For example, the contemporary freshness of the Impressionist painting was much maligned by pre-Nazi Germany, which had a well-documented taste for order and distinction.

Later collectors such as Hugh Lane, who was working as a successful dealer of Old Masters in London, amassed an impressive collection of Impressionist art, but the United Kingdom was at first just as imperial in its response to Impressionism. Deeply and historically suspicious of its nearest neighbour, and perhaps not quite able to forgive the French for allowing the Revolution to take place, Britain was just as unwilling to assimilate a revolution in art.

The cause of Impressionism was so maligned and misunderstood that auction-goers even felt compelled to hiss and boo the new paintings when they came up for sale.

Yet by the Seventies, Impressionism was so beyond acceptability and respectability that it had become a barometer of accomplishment for the nouveau-riche, as well as an acquired taste for the aristocracy. Everyone from Richard Burton and Elizabeth Taylor to the Queen of England were invited -- and went -- to the important Impressionist auctions. It is Hook's task to thus document Impressionism paintings as radical, extreme and generally distasteful, and then trail their miraculous transformation into trophies of indisputable means and taste.

With a wealth of material to draw from -- letters, anecdotes and films -- even including thoughts about Cher's analysis of her rival as being, like, a total Monet in the movie Clueless, Philip Hook masters the subject. While chronicling the story of the birth and eventual success of the "first modern art", as well as the importance of the art dealer, we are invited to consider the importance of art, not just as a socio-political barometer, but also as a tool to interpret and appreciate nature, mortality and even morality.

Senior Sotheby's director Philip Hook renders his passion for Impressionism absolutely evident to the reader. Hook has written several novels, and his ease with storytelling translates very well to this latest endeavour.

Extremely informed, always interesting and occasionally laugh-out-loud funny, The Ultimate Trophy is a treasure.

- Sarah Davis-Goff