Modern
Genius, Madness, and One Tumultuous Decade That Changed Art Forever
by Philip Hook
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Pub Date Apr 19 2022 | Archive Date Apr 26 2022
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Description
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A strikingly original reappraisal of the revolutionary birth of Modern art in the tumultuous decade brought to a shattering close by WWI
The years leading up to WWI, 1905 to 1914, were the most frenzied and revolutionary in the history of art. They were the crucible of Modernism, when (to the horror of the conventional majority) Fauvism, Expressionism, Cubism, Futurism, and Abstract Art all burst forth in quick, shocking succession, and art itself was politically weaponized in advance of approaching war.
Modern reexamines the period from a series of fresh angles:
What was the conventional art against which Modernism wasrebelling?
Why did avant-garde artists become so obsessed with
themselves?
What persuaded a few bold collectors to buy difficult
modern art?
Why, at this same moment, did others pay so much
for Old Masters?
Cézanne, Matisse, Munch, Klimt, Picasso, as well as hundreds of lesser-known names star in this rare popular art history that helps us appreciate as never before this supremely consequential decade.
Advance Praise
“A mesmerizing pleasure . . . consummately well-informed and readable, replete with shameless gossip and memorable anecdote. The illustrations are well chosen and interestingly eclectic.”—Stephen Bayley, The Spectator Books of the Year
“Hook’s wonderful book captures a window of time when artistic ideals were shattered and reassembled in dynamic ways.”—Mail on Sunday
“The author writes knowledgeably and from a position of privileged intimacy with the works he discusses. . . . Hook tells with zest and wit the story of this birth of modernism.”—Literary Review
“A vivid survey of art, at once safe and extreme, in the decade before the Great War. This is a spirited history told with the rush and hustle of a true enthusiast. . . . Hook pulls his material together with verve and élan.”—The Times
“Erudite and amusing . . . unfailingly enjoyable. Rich in anecdote and candid in opinion, it has a panache free of sanctimonious claptrap that makes it an invigorating introduction to the subject.”—Rupert Christiansen, The Spectator
“Hook is adept at writing about the many ‘isms’ of this period. From the boldness of Fauvism to the proto-fascism of Futurism, in his hands, these movements are less the theoretical contents of a dry art history lecture than a truly interesting framework through which to view his period of history.”—Reaction
Available Editions
| EDITION | Other Format |
| ISBN | 9781615198672 |
| PRICE | $35.00 (USD) |
| PAGES | 400 |
Available on NetGalley
Featured Reviews
Librarian 31589
I will be honest. I read the introduction and skimmed the rest. This is a little too scholarly for me. Modernist work, generally in the decade pre-WWII is one of my favorite periods. I love the colors, freedom of composition, and flow. My favorite part of the book are the beautiful illustrations where realist and modernist paintings from the same year are side-by-side. Some of my favorite artists are early Picasso, Klimt, Kandinsky, Matisse, and Gauguin; and of course the Impressionists of the same period.
Angela R, Educator
Highly text heavy, educational and interesting book on modern art ranging from the late 19th century through the beginning of the early 20th century.
The chronological timeline is straightforward and helpful, and Philip Hook is clearly an incredibly knowledgeable voice in the modern art world.
The list of modern art photos shown in the book along with detailed references are an verifiable wealth of knowledge.
This book would be fantastic for anyone with a special interest in modern Art, collectors who want to know a more thorough backstory on an artist or anyone studying to be an art historian in a college course.
