How Modernism Altered the Course of Art History

Modernism began near the turn of the 20th century as a major break from traditional forms and pushed the boundaries of what art could be. Encompassing a multiplicity of artists and sub-classifications, Modernism expressed itself across every artistic discipline, from literature to music to the visual arts. Starting with the 1913 New York Armory Show that introduced American and European avant-garde art, we’ll explore a diverse group of artists and art movements including Fauvism, Cubism, Futurism, Surrealism, Abstract Expressionism, and up to the present time. We’ll discuss how Van Gogh, Cezanne, Seurat, and Toulouse-Lautrec were essential to the development of Modernism. A sampling of artists includes Matisse, Picasso, af Klint, Kandinsky, Mondrian, Tobey, O’Keeffe, Carr, Frankenthaler, Bearden, Lewis, Lawrence, and WalkingStick. To this day, these innovative modernists continue to inspire contemporary artists through their use of unique techniques, mediums, and subjects.