From La Vie Moderne to La Belle Epoque: Art and Society in Paris from 1853-1914

With Jerrilynn Dodds, Dean, Sarah Lawrence College. The period between the 1850’s and World War I in Paris is known as time when intellectuals, artists, writers and performers transformed the city physically, artistically and socially. Impressionism, Post-Impressionism, Symbolism, Marx, Marie Curie, Freud, Zola and Baudelaire were all setting the stage for the modern world with new discoveries, new ideas and new ways of looking at society and social relations. The resulting art and literature would scandalize, push against convention, humanize and ultimately help to transform and shape the modern world. March 8 focuses on From Degas to Lautrec: The City and the Dark Side of Café Society.