Understanding Modernism: Art, Economics, and History

Key Concepts & Artistic Movements

Historical & Economic Concepts Defined

Armed Peace

A state of tension where countries maintain prepared military forces but are not in active war.

Taylorism

A system of scientific work organization aimed at increasing efficiency through task division and control.

Fordism

A mass production model based on standardization and the assembly line to manufacture goods quickly.

Combustion Engine

A machine that generates motion by burning fuel to transform chemical energy into mechanical energy.

Imperialism

A policy of expansion and domination by one country over other territories for economic and political control.

Metropole

A central city or country that politically controls a colony or dependent territory.

Protectorate

A territory with limited autonomy under the protection and political control of a foreign power.

Concession

An agreement that allows a foreign company to exploit resources or engage in trade within another territory.

Colony

A territory dominated and directly administered by a foreign power.

Berlin Conference

A meeting in 1884–85 to divide Africa among European powers without consulting its inhabitants.

Chicago School

An economic school of thought that promotes free markets and minimal state intervention.

Artistic & Cultural Concepts Defined

Art Nouveau

A decorative artistic style characterized by curved lines and natural motifs.

Impressionism

A painting style that captures light and moments through loose brushstrokes.

Avant-Garde Art

Innovative art that breaks with tradition and seeks new forms of expression.

Modern Culture, Architecture, and Art

• Construction of new utilitarian buildings such as train stations, bridges, factories, and markets.
• The Chicago School was responsible for the construction of the first skyscrapers.
• Art Nouveau stood out in Europe, using new materials to seek beauty through asymmetrical and undulating shapes inspired by nature.

Impressionism and Post-Impressionism Explained

• Impressionism emerged around 1870, with painters capturing the "impression" or instantaneous effects of atmosphere and light outdoors, using loose brushstrokes and pure colors. Key painters included Monet, Renoir, and Degas.
• Post-Impressionism adopted new approaches, experimenting with objects, colors, and objectivity. Painters such as Cézanne, Gauguin, and Van Gogh stood out.

The First Avant-Garde Art Movements of the 20th Century

At the beginning of the 20th century, the first avant-garde movements sought to break with traditional art.

• Fauvism: Bold Color and Drawing

  Initiated by Matisse, Fauvism emphasized drawing and applied color flat and independently of reality.

• Expressionism: Emotion and Distortion

  Sought to express feelings, using colors arbitrarily and representing introverted figures and tragic themes. Key painters included Munch and Kirchner. Expressionism is a modernist movement, initially in poetry and painting, originating in Northern Europe around the beginning of the 20th century. Its typical trait is to present the world solely from a subjective perspective, distorting it radically for emotional effect in order to evoke moods or ideas.

• Cubism: Geometric Forms and Multiple Perspectives

  Consisted of decomposing objects into geometric shapes, represented with various points of view. Picasso was a key representative.