German Encounters with Modernism, 1840-1945

by Peter Paret

Overview

In German Encounters with Modernism, Peter Paret traces the reception of modern art, from the 1840s through the Nazi era, through the lens of social and political developments in Germany. Addressing broad cultural topics, such as the early history of Expressionism, the role of anti-Semitism in German reactions to modernism, and the impact of World War I on the arts, he also includes new interpretations of the work of artists such as the sculptor Ernst Barlach. Based on new archival discoveries, this study combines a strong narrative approach with interdisciplinary analysis.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780521794565
Publisher:	Cambridge University Press
Publication date:	02/19/2001
Edition description:	New Edition
Pages:	294
Product dimensions:	5.90(w) x 8.90(h) x 0.70(d)

Table of Contents

1. Adolph Menzel from different perspectives; 2. Theodor Fontane and Max Lieberman: a Prussian comparison; 3. Modernism and the 'Alien element in German Art'; 4. The Tschudi affair; 5. Revolutionary continuities; 6. The great dying: notes on German Art, 1914–1918; 7. Field Marshal and Beggar: Ernst Barlach in the First World War; 8. 'The enemy within': Max Liebermann as president of the Prussian Academy of Arts; 9. God's hammer.

Editorial Reviews

"Cultural history at its best...a brilliant work." Art History

"In reflecting upon Paret's finely-crafted, elegiac explorations, one observes that his essays skillfully describe Germany's rich and contradictory engagement with aesthetic modernism." Central European History

"Concise, exact, richly historical...the nine essays enable us to understand works of art not only as historical documents, but as eminently political acts." Neue Zuericher Zeitung

"In all these essays, Paret's skill in combining stylistic analysis with socioinstitutional history, based on a wide variety of sources, is evident...new readers will find a rich, subtle, and illuminating work here." The Historian

"Peter Paret offers a fascinating portrait of German responses to German politics, social realities and cultural developments between 1840 and 1945." The Art Book Jan 2002

From the Publisher