Through the 1880s the very essence of representation, meaning and process in Western art were profoundly interrogated. Plausible representations of the external world were cast aside in favour of non-naturalism expressed in varying degrees, from modest distortions of reality to pure abstraction. The decades that followed, up to the outbreak of the First World War in 1914, were a complex, vibrant period of artistic questioning, searching, risk-taking and innovation. Concentrating on this period of great upheaval, this book will explore the constructive dialogue between painting and sculpture, and the influential roles played by three giants of the era, Paul Cézanne, Paul Gauguin and Vincent van Gogh, across European art as a whole. While acknowledging the centrality of Paris as a cultural capital, it will also uniquely highlight other centres of artistic ferment in Europe, from Brussels and Barcelona to Berlin and Vienna, and track the variety of routes into modernism in the early twentieth century. This fully illustrated catalogue will contain four essays, introductions to each city of ferment and biographies of the artists. Published by National Gallery Global/Distributed by Yale University Press Exhibition Schedule: The National Gallery, London 25 March–13 August 2023

This title takes an immanent turn in art history. Immanence is a theory of divine presence, in which the divine is found in the material world, not outside of it. This new collection brings the major 20th century French philosopher Henri Bergson's work on immanence together with the latest ideas in art theory and the practice of immanent art as found in painting, photography and film. It places Bergson's work and influence in a wide historical context and applies a rigorous conceptual framework to contemporary art theory and practice. It includes 16 essays from world renowned art theorists, philosophers and Bergson scholars. Contributors include Iris van der Tuin, Eric Alliez, Simon O'Sullivan and Howard Caygill. It offers a variety of perspectives and methodological approaches that will appeal to both art theorists and practitioners. It explores concepts of rhythmic duration, perception, affectivity, the body, memory and intuition - all of which were first formulated as immanent objects through the work of Bergson.

This volume brings together prominent scholars, artists, composers, and directors to present the latest interdisciplinary ideas and projects in the fields of art history, musicology and multi-media practice. Organized around ways of perceiving, experiencing and creating, the book outlines the state of the field through cutting-edge research case studies. For example, how does art-music practice / thinking communicate activist activities? How do socio-economic and environmental problems affect access to heritage? How do contemporary practitioners interpret past works and what global concerns stimulate new works? In each instance, examples of cross or inter-media works are not thought of in isolation but in a global historical context that shows our cultural existence to be complex, conflicted and entwined. For the first time cross-disciplinary collaborations in ethnomusicology-anthropology, ecomusicology-ecoart-ecomuseology and digital humanities for art history, musicology and practice are prioritized in one volume.

Demonstrates the central role of Bergson for modernist art and intellectual history in the UK Brings to light new evidence of British artists' direct engagement with Bergson, opening new avenues of research and interpretation for the artists Vanessa Bell, Duncan Grant, John Duncan Fergusson, and artist-writers Roger Fry and Wyndham Lewis Based on archival material in Paris and US not previously accessed? (Biblioteque Jacques Doucet, Isabella Gardner Museum, Boston and Wyndham Lewis' marginalia in his editions of Bergson's texts at The University of Texas at Austin), in addition to primary sources in UK (Universities of Cambridge, Edinburgh, London, and Strathclyde), and US (Universities of Cornell and Texas at Austin) Changes art history's standard readings of these artists as the evidence of their knowledge of and engagement with Bergson is irrefutable Explores concepts of duration, intuition, creativity; the image and perception as they were formulated by Bergson and understood by his contemporaries Demonstrates Bergson's relevance to key problematics for Art History: temporality, intuition, subjectivity, representation, the image. Charlotte de Mille shows that the reception of the philosophy of Henri Bergson by British artists and critics was far more wide spread and of far greater importance in the UK than has been previously thought. Based on archival material in Paris and the US, not all previously accessed, along with primary UK sources, she opens new avenues of research and interpretation on the work of artists Vanessa Bell, Duncan Grant, John Duncan Fergusson and artist-writers Roger Fry and Wyndham Lewis. De Mille demonstrates the profound impact of Bergson's work in UK culture immediately prior to World War One. Her interdisciplinary approach integrates philosophy, art criticism and art history. An Epilogue considers the proximity of Bergson's thought on temporality, perception, intuition and subjectivity to art history, from Alois Riegl and Aby Warburg, to practitioners today.