ARTH 267 - Avant-Garde: Art, Capital, and Revolution

This course considers the development of fine art and visual and material culture across Europe from 1750 to 1968, a period of market fluctuation, imperial expansion, and political revolution. We will trace an arc from the founding of academies and factories in the mid-eighteenth century to the competing -isms of the early twentieth century and protest art of ‘68.  From London to Moscow, we will consider the artistic and militaristic origins of the avant-garde. Topics include: industrialization and commodity culture; discipline and the city; empire and appropriation; national identities and aesthetics; collectives and manifestos; and war, censorship, and resistance.