Cubism and early abstraction

Cubism

c. 1907 - 1939

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Cubism broke forms apart and put them back together in revolutionary ways.

Futurism

1909 - 1914

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The Futurists emphasized the violent and destructive sides of new technology, with faith that a radical political and societal change was at hand.

Orphism

1912 - 1914

Influenced by Cubism, Orphism was based around the growing science of optics and color.

The art of the Russian avant-garde

c. 1918 - 1941

The fervor and optimism of the Soviet Union's early years was shared by artists, who strove to create new forms that reflected their societal ideals.

The School of Paris

c. 1904 - 1939

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This designation refers to the huge community of immigrant artists living and working in the city prior to World War II.

Photography

1900 - 1939

Artists in Paris innovated in more than painting and sculpture. Photographers also experimented with new ways of representing the world.

De Stijl

1917 - 1931

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Founded by Theo van Doesburg and Piet Mondrian in the Netherlands, this movement championed geometric abstraction as a solution to modern life.

British art and literature

1914 - 1918

Though we may read about dates and numbers when we study historic conflicts, the lived reality of a war becomes much more vivid when we look at the diverse creative expressions it inspires.