Baroque between the Wars: Alternative Style in the Arts, 1918-1939

In the 1920s and 1930s, there was a fascinating artistic movement called "Baroque between the Wars." It was a mix of modern and classical styles and was influenced by popular culture. Jane Stevenson argues that both baroque and classical forms were valid responses to the challenge of modernity and that the modern baroque was an active subversion of modernism, bringing excluded groups into the center of the movement. The book highlights artists, artifacts, clients, places, and publicists to demonstrate how baroque offered a whole new way of being modern.

Format: Paperback / softback
Length: 336 pages
Publication date: 29 July 2021
Publisher: Oxford University Press

Between the Wars, a captivating era in the arts emerged during the 1920s and 1930s. Contrary to popular belief, this period witnessed a fascinating dialogue between modern baroque and modernism. The modern baroque, characterized by its eclectic, playful, camp, open-to-influence-from-popular-culture-but-connected-with-the-past, and unafraid-of-the-grotesque-or-surreal aesthetic, coexisted with modernism, which was theory-driven, didactic, exclusive, and essentially neo-classical. Jane Stevenson, in her insightful argument, posits that both baroque and classical forms were equally valid responses to the challenges of modernity. By contextualizing painting and literature within the realm of minor arts such as interior design, photography, fashion, ballet, and flower arranging, Stevenson offers a fresh and exciting interpretation of one of the most renowned artistic movements of the 20th century. Accessibly written and lavishly illustrated, the volume delves into artists, artifacts, clients, places, and publicists to showcase how the modern baroque offered a whole new way of being modern.

The modern baroque was a vibrant subversion of modernism, practiced by the groups that modernism often excluded. Stevenson brings these excluded groups to the forefront of the modern baroque movement, providing a rich history of the alternative style that has significantly influenced art, architecture, performance, and literature in today's world.

Weight: 546g
Dimension: 234 x 153 x 16 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9780198867753