Paris in the 1920s: Art, Design, Fashion, and Literature
Wednesdays, October 4 – October 25, 6 – 8pm
Chambre de Madame of the Ambassade française (detail). Facsimile of a gouache by Boris Gosser reproduced in Léon Deshairs, Exposition des arts décoratifs, Paris, 1925: Intérieurs en couleurs, France (Paris: Albert Lévy, 1926). Bibliothèque des Arts Décoratifs, Paris. © 2023 Les Arts Décoratifs, Paris
$220; members $198
(4 classes)
About the Class
Known in Paris as les Années Folles (The Crazy Years), the 1920s were an exuberant time of decadence, extravagance, and artistic energy that helped define the modern era. This decade saw women begin to express their independence through fashion; the birth of art deco at the 1925 International Exhibition of Modern Decorative and Industrial Arts; and writers like F. Scott Fitzgerald, Gertrude Stein, Ernest Hemingway, and Marcel Proust take the literary world by storm. In this course, we will explore works of art from a range of styles and media—cubist, futurist, and surrealist paintings and sculptures, as well as modern literature, fashion, and design—that were developed within this innovative cultural landscape.
This course connects to themes in our fall exhibition, Marie Laurencin: Sapphic Paris.
The class is online-only. More about online classes.
Barnes classes will:
- Increase your understanding of art-related concepts.
- Increase the ways you think critically about art.
- Improve your ability to communicate about art.
- Deepen your appreciation for cultures and histories outside your own.
Chambre de Madame of the Ambassade française. Facsimile of a gouache by Boris Gosserreproduced in Léon Deshairs, Exposition des arts décoratifs, Paris, 1925: Intérieurs en couleurs, France (Paris: Albert Lévy, 1926). Bibliothèque des Arts Décoratifs, Paris. © 2023 Les Arts Décoratifs, Paris
Instructor
Caterina Y. Pierre
Pierre is professor of art history at the City University of New York at Kingsborough Community College and visiting associate professor at the Pratt Institute, New York. She has taught about art and crime at CUNY Kingsborough, Pratt, and Sotheby’s Institute of Art, New York. She is currently preparing a book on cemetery sculpture as political art in the late 19th century, as well as a book on Ernest Durig, a forger of the sculptor Auguste Rodin.
Recent Barnes Class Testimonials
“[The] professor was highly engaging, facilitated excellent discussions, and [was] very knowledgeable. I learned a lot about teaching art history from watching her.” Matisse and Picasso with Martha Lucy
“The instructor [was] very empathetic and knowledgeable [and] created moments of sharing across students who participated actively in discussion.” Art and Literature of the Harlem Renaissance with Michael Williamson
“I am not an artist and prior to this course I had not thought about what an artist might be 'thinking,' as opposed to 'feeling.' I loved this course and plan to immerse myself in color theory.” Visualizing Memory with Lucas Kelly
“The instructor was exceptionally well prepared and challenged us with profound questions. This was a graduate degree caliber course.” The Queer 1890s with Ty Vanover
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