By Vern Grosvenor Swanson. Published by Antique Collectors Club. Hardcover. 304 pages.

The discovery and re-appraisal by art historians of ignored and underrated areas of art act as catalysts for engendering enthusiasm and appreciation among a wider audience. Such is the case with Soviet art of the 1930s to 1980s, now considered the twentieth century's major realist school of painting. Yet, during its heyday, and thanks to the politics of the Cold War and the shortsightedness of western critics, the treasures of Soviet artists of the period remained hidden. Vern Swanson has given us a book which is not only stunningly illustrated but also accompanied by a fascinating and intelligent account of the tradition of painting for a proletarian society.