The subject of this book, as indicated by its title, is the impact that Impressionism had on contemporary art. The book is divided into three parts, where:

The first part deals with the dominance of optical impression in Impressionism and includes visual representation, the role of form in modernism, the depiction of contemporary society through imagery, volume, and originality in Cézanne's work.

The second part focuses on the ideological and social ferment brought about by Impressionism, thus contributing to the aesthetic value of abstraction, the form of modernism, Manet's dependence on the past, the social experience of modernism, and neo-Impressionism, as well as the power of color.

Finally, the third part discusses the meaning of abstraction and color, Monet's relationship with abstract expressionism and his insight into digital Impressionism, the geometric structure in relation to Cézanne's work, avant-garde and the social autonomy of art, and Pollock's work in relation to the expressive and social character of Impressionism, and lastly, the formal basis of contemporary art.