20th Century Art
The visual art of the 1900s witnessed unprecedented experimentation, shifting from representation to abstraction, and reflecting the tumultuous social, political, and technological changes of the century. This tag aggregates peer-reviewed entries on movements, key figures, and critical theory.
Cubism
An early-20th-century avant-garde art movement revolutionized Western art by introducing multiperspective, geometric construction, and shallow pictorial spaces. Pioneered by Picasso and Braque between 1907–1914.
MovementSurrealism
Emerging in the 1920s, Surrealism sought to release the creative potential of the unconscious mind, often producing bizarre, dream-like imagery and unexpected juxtapositions. Key figures include Dalí, Magritte, and Ernst.
MovementAbstract Expressionism
A post-WWII American movement characterized by spontaneous, automatic, or subconscious creation. Emphasized gesture, scale, and non-representational forms. Central artists: Pollock, de Kooning, Rothko.
MovementPop Art
Challenged traditions of fine art by incorporating imagery from popular and mass culture, including advertising, comic books, and mundane cultural objects. Emerged in the mid-1950s in Britain and late 1950s in the US.
Institution / MovementBauhaus
A German art school operational from 1919 to 1933, influential in modern design, architecture, and typography. Advocated unity of art, craft, and technology, rejecting ornamentation in favor of functional aesthetics.
MovementConceptual Art
Art in which the idea or concept constitutes the work of art rather than the physical or aesthetic aspect. Gained prominence in the late 1960s, challenging the commodification of art and traditional mediums.
MovementDada
An avant-garde movement during World War I, characterized by its rejection of logic, reason, and aestheticism of the modern era. Embraced nonsense, anti-bourgeois protest, and ready-made objects. Founded in Zürich, 1916.
Theory / EssayWassily Kandinsky: On the Spiritual in Art
A foundational treatise on abstract art published in 1911. Kandinsky argues for a spiritual necessity of art, exploring color theory, form, and the psychological resonance of non-representational composition.