F15 Cain - GERMAN 232 - Visions of Modernity in German Lit Around 1900
Expressionism
The turn of the twentieth century was an exciting time marked by the discovery of new, previously unsuspected worlds below the surface of everyday perception. Germany, Austria and Switzerland were at the forefront of literary, scientific and artistic innovation at that time. In psychology, Sigmund Freud’s work found explanations hidden in the depths of the unconscious. In the sciences, Röntgen’s 1895 discovery of the X-ray and Rutherford’s 1911 splitting of the atom revealed previously invisible physical realities. In politics, Marx and Engels proposed that labor and capital were the forces determining social change and the progress of history. This time of great optimism and scientific advance also witnessed the outbreak of the First World War, a violent and technological war that questioned the optimism about the continuing progress of humankind. Artists and writers responded to these new ideas in highly imaginative ways. Expressionist artists such as Franz Marc and Wasilly Kandinsky of the “Blaue Reiter” group believed their art revealed a “spiritual” dimension that could balance a society dominated by rationalism. Writers such Kafka, Brecht, Schnitzler and Kästner took their readers into these new worlds in their prose and poetry.
In this course we will explore notions of hidden worlds revealed and how they were reflected in art, literature, film and political and scientific texts. We will read and analyze a variety of materials, including short stories, poems, plays and a graphic novel adaptation of the children’s story Emil und die Detektive. We will continue to improve our German proficiency including all the fundamental skills of speaking, listening, reading, writing and grammar. Special features of the class include a trip to the UMMA, guest lectures and creative writing. Taught in German.
Max Beckmann
Self-Portrait
woodcut on paper
9 x 6 1/8 in. (22.8 x 15.4 cm);18 3/16 x 22 1/8 in. (46.04 x 56.04 cm);19 7/16 x 13 7/8 in. (49.3 x 35.2 cm)
Museum Purchase
Käthe Kollwitz
Mary and Elizabeth
woodcut on Japan paper
15 5/8 x 17 13/16 in. (39.69 x 45.24 cm);22 1/8 x 28 1/8 in. (56.2 x 71.44 cm);13 3/4 x 14 9/16 in. (34.92 x 36.99 cm)
Museum Purchase made possible by the Friends of the Museum of Art
Wassily Kandinsky
The Archer
woodblock on paper
6 1/2 in x 6 in (16.5 cm x 15.2 cm);12 3/16 in x 9 1/2 in (30.9 cm x 24.1 cm);19 5/16 in x 14 5/16 in (49 cm x 36.3 cm)
Museum purchase
Wassily Kandinsky
Small Worlds III
lithograph on paper
14 in x 11 in (35.56 cm x 27.94 cm);10 15/16 in x 9 1/8 in (27.78 cm x 23.2 cm);13 9/16 in x 11 in (34.4 cm x 28 cm);19 5/16 in x 14 3/8 in (49 cm x 36.5 cm)
Museum Purchase
Franz Marc
Reitschule Nach Ridinger
woodblock on paper
10 5/8 in x 11 13/16 in (27 cm x 30 cm);18 1/16 in x 22 1/16 in (45.88 cm x 56 cm)
Museum Purchase
Franz Marc
Tierlegende
woodcut on paper
7 3/4 in x 9 7/16 in (19.68 cm x 23.97 cm);7 3/4 in x 9 7/16 in (19.68 cm x 23.97 cm);19 1/4 in x 14 1/4 in (48.89 cm x 36.2 cm)
Gift of Jean Paul Slusser
Christian Rohlfs
Dancers (Zwei Tänzende)
linoleum cut on paper
11 ⅛ in x 11 4/5 in (28.26 cm x 30 cm);18 ⅛ in x 22 ⅛ in (46.04 cm x 56.2 cm);14 7/16 in x 14 4/5 in (36.67 cm x 37.62 cm)
Museum Purchase
Ludwig Meidner
Bildnis, from the portfolio "Deutsche Graphiker der Gegenwart"
lithograph on paper
12 ⅝ in x 9 3/16 in (32.07 cm x 23.34 cm);19 ¼ in x 14 ¼ in (48.89 cm x 36.2 cm)
Museum Purchase
George Grosz
The Family
brush and ink on cream-colored paper
23 3/8 in. x 18 1/8 in. ( 59.3 cm x 46 cm )
Museum Purchase
László Moholy-Nagy
Konstruktionen (6)
lithograph on paper
32 1/8 x 26 1/8 in. (81.6 x 66.36 cm);23 3/4 x 17 5/16 in. (60.33 x 43.97 cm)
The Paul Leroy Grigaut Memorial Collection
László Moholy-Nagy
Abstrakte Komposition
watercolor, India ink, and collage on wove paper
19 5/16 in x 13 11/16 in (49.05 cm x 34.77 cm);19 5/16 in x 13 11/16 in (49.05 cm x 34.77 cm);28 1/8 in x 22 1/8 in (71.44 cm x 56.2 cm)
Museum Purchase
Gerhard Marcks
Almtanz (Alpine Dance)
woodcut on paper
7 ⅞ in x 9 4/5 in (20 cm x 24.92 cm);14 ¼ in x 19 ¼ in (36.2 cm x 48.89 cm);12 ⅛ in x 16 1/16 in (30.8 cm x 40.8 cm)
Gift of Jean Paul Slusser