The Nature of Man by René Magritte, 1933 (Haeferl / CC BY-SA 4.0 / CC BY-SA 3.0)
In 1924 the French writer André Breton composed the first of several manifestos outlining a radical new approach to literature, painting, sculpture, film, and other forms. Christened Surrealism, it dominated avant-garde European and American art during the late 1920s and ’30s, as seen in the work of such prominent figures as Salvador Dalí (Spanish), René Magritte (Belgian), Max Ernst (German), Frida Kahlo (Mexican) and Dorothea Tanning (from the U.S.).
Born from the devastation and chaos of World War I, the premise of this new approach—that artists should draw their inspiration from dreams and the unconscious rather than academic training and rational thought—challenged the entire history of intellectual and creative practice in the Western world.
More than a century after Breton’s shocking pronouncement, Surrealism has become a ubiquitous part of daily life, seen in everything from music videos to food. Recent scholarship has focused on Surrealism’s global reach, and art museums celebrated the movement’s centenary with a raft of major exhibitions—throughout Europe, the U.S., and as far afield as China.
In a handsomely illustrated lecture, art historian Nancy G. Heller traces the birth, evolution, and influence of Surrealism in visual art, from its beginnings in Europe through the first quarter of the 21st century.
Heller is emerita professor at the University of the Arts in Philadelphia.
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