Product Description

This is the first publication to compare and contrast the artistic traditions in Berlin and Vienna during the birth of the Modernist movement. From the beginning of the 20th century to the period between the two world wars, Berlin and Vienna witnessed an explosion of artistic productivity and experimentation. Featuring works by Schiele, Hausmann, Hoffmann, Kokoschka, Dix, Grosz, Liebermann, Kirchner, and others, this volume documents how two very different cities developed artistic traditions that were unique to their individual cultures, while at the same time borrowing from each other's accomplishments. Starting with the Secessionist movements of both cities, this generously illustrated volume compares and contrasts Berlin's realism with Vienna's ornamentalism. World War I led to greater proximity between the two nations and to active artistic exchanges between them, both in relation to the rise of the Neue Sachlichkeit or New Objectivity and, in particular, in the context of stagecraft. Gaining in influence at the same time was Viennese kineticism, whose counterpart in Berlin was the Dada movement, which examined contemporary social issues in a critical and subversive manner. Designed to echo the stylistic elements of the early 20th century, this beautiful and unique book traces an important cultural exchange that helped shape both cities and had lasting effects on the development of modern art.