Art Speaks: Symbolism and Modernity in European Art

With Abigail Yoder, research assistant, prints, drawings, and photographs During the late 19th century the Impressionists in France dominated the avant-garde art scene with their colorful and light-filled depictions of modern life. Developing concurrently, however, was the Symbolist art movement, in which artists responded to the rapidly changing world around them by looking inward. Their works often depicted fantastical and dark subject matter in a wide range of styles. This talk focuses on several key figures in this international movement, including the French artist Odilon Redon, the Belgian James Ensor, and the Norwegian Edvard Munch, examining their unique styles and the impact they had on later generations of artists.