COLT 49.10 Modernist Paris
There are few times in history as culturally rich and expansive as Paris in the 1920s. A magnet for artists, writers, musicians, and performers from around the world, Paris in the decade following World War I was also the very symbol of the Modern: of all that was new, unusual, risque, and shocking. From the surrealist manifestos of 1924 to the new clothing styles popularized by Coco Chanel, from the breakthrough prose of Ernest Hemingway to the glamour of "le jazz hot" perfected by African-American dancer Josephine Baker, Paris in the 1920s was a crucible for unprecedented artistic expression. But underneath the enormous energy of this cosmopolitan city lay deep currents of anxiety and uncertainty about the direction of this phenomenon called "modernity." This course will introduce students to one of the most fascinating times and places in recent history, and to a generation of artists and cultural figures who made a lasting mark on their--and our--times. We will sample a wide variety of cultural forms that emerged from postwar Paris while also exploring the deeper global, historical, political, and social currents that brought this moment into being. And we will make use of Dartmouth's own resources at the Hood Museum and Hopkins Center to help bring modernist Paris to life for us today.