French Literature Reviews - 2026
B. Joyeux-Prunel, Les avant-gardes artistiques 1848-1920. Une histoire transnationale
Art and Visual Culture
Les avant-gardes artistiques 1848-1920. Une histoire transnationale
Béatrice Joyeux-Prunel
Publication date: 01/01/2016 Publisher: Gallimard (Editions) Series: Folio Histoire ISBN: 978-2-07-034274-7 EAN: 9782070342747 Format: Paperback Presentation: Softcover No. of pages: 964 p.
A history of the avant-gardes is, above all, the history of a cultural universe from which they emerge through rejection or a drive for renewal. There can be no true understanding of the avant-gardes without examining the history of dominant tastes, institutional norms, educational networks, the circulation of common ideas, the means of distinction, struggles and their weapons (journals, pamphlets, exhibitions outside official Salons), new technologies and industries (photography, film, etc.), as well as reactions to major social, political, and military upheavals.
This history of ideas, techniques, and the sociology of artistic circles recounts these collective struggles, the legends of unrecognized genius, and the very real migrations of artistic innovation from one metropolis to another over the course of two centuries.
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An article on this book can be read on laviedesidees.fr:
The study of artistic movements often relies on national frameworks, yet the historical reality of modern creation has consistently transcended borders through the circulation of ideas, techniques, and practitioners across European and global metropolises. Béatrice Joyeux-Prunel examines how avant-garde groups positioned themselves in relation to dominant tastes, institutional frameworks, and academic training during a period defined by rapid technological change and profound political and social transformations. Readers interested in the sociology of culture and the transnational dynamics of modern art history may find this volume relevant.