Answer one of the questions below:

1) Here are two interpretations of the material we have been studying:

“French avant garde culture in the decades from 1890 to 1930 had a strong underlying unity. Different eras saw different artistic forms, but the basic goals were the same.”

“French avant garde culture in the decades from 1890 to 1930 is so diverse that it is difficult to find any common goals, strategies, or concepts. Only the need of later historians to see a coherent line of development has created the illusion of a common avant garde movement.”

Which position do you think most accurately reflects the material that we have been studying? Develop a thesis explaining what united or divided the movements. In discussing the similarities or the differences be sure to discuss both techniques and deeper notions of what art should be. (If you feel that the position you have chosen is too extreme, you may, if you wish, point out short comings.)

Support your answer with specific references to works from The Banquet Years, Dada, and Surrealism.

2) Beginning in the late 18th century Romantic artists and intellectuals insisted that art should express the deepest emotions of artists and their eras by abandoning rigid forms of artistic expression and by delving into dreams, childhood, and madness as sources of inspiration. To what extent, if any, do the artists of The Banquet Years, Dada, and Surrealism represent yet another expression of this Romantic consciousness? To what extent, if any, have they gone beyond Romanticism?

In your answer be sure to present a clear thesis and to support with a wide range of evidence from the readings, web site, and lectures.

Essays must not exceed 5 pages and should be submitted at the beginning of class Tuesday October 9