At the turn of the twentieth century, nations, both
sovereign and aspiring, feverishly worked to define, foster, and
promote national identity. While historians have recognized the
significance of this moment for modern identity formations, it has
largely been neglected by art historians. Art, Culture and National
Identity in Fin-de-Siècle Europe examines the phenomenon of
politicized art and its connections to modernism. In eleven essays
that focus on as many nations, an international team of authors
explore the complex issues facing artists who helped to form a
distinct national identity to audiences at home and abroad. The
detailed case studies unravel the matrix of circumstances that
fostered nationalistic developments, thereby offering a more nuanced
understanding of European art and culture around 1900.