Cubism to Surrealism

Catalog description

Taught in English. Prerequisite: completion of ARTH-UA 10 Foundations of Art History , or ARTH-UA 2 History of Western Art II or ARTH-UA 6 Modern Art or a score of 5 on the AP Art History exam. Focuses on the invention of cubism by Picasso and Braque and its international reverberations, including Italian futurism, the later phases of German expressionism, and constructivism in revolutionary Russia, while maintaining a focus on the French art world. The course addresses the tensions in the multiple currents of the avant-garde, from the dada movement to surrealism, and considers painting after World War II, from Pollock to Dubuffet, as an extension and transformation of prewar trends. Focuses in particular on French contributions to these movements, with regular visits to museums in and around Paris where these works are housed.