ART 200 Art & Society

This course examines the inseparable tie between art and society in focusing mainly on the time period between 19th-21st century. Most specifically it will present the development of the visual arts (paintings, sculpture, photography, architecture, design, etc.) in the Central Europe from the end of the 18th century until the present, focusing mainly on the Czech lands (that were part of the Austro-Hungarian Monarchy until 1918). In the 19th century Bohemian culture was influenced by nationalist movement i.e. the National Revival, which was inspired by wider socio-political tendencies at this time. Relations to Austrian and German art were very important during that time. Since the 19th century we can see a profound shift to French literature (Symbolism, Decadence, Cubism, etc.). These connections endured until the period between the World War I and World War II (Surrealism, Abstract art). The period after the Second World War (until 1989) was characterized by a totalitarian political system that negatively deformed the standard art scene. Czech art acquired new dimension after the political changes of 1989. This course will introduce the history of Czech visual arts in a wider Central European context with references to other art fields (film, literature, theatre).