The last decade of the 19th century in Europe saw an explosion of evocative and disturbing works of art, reflecting a cultural cynicism felt around rapid industrialization, a perceived moral decline, and the rural flight to urban centers.
These anxieties inspired Symbolist artists to draw on a dark and mysterious vocabulary of demons, skeletons, femmes fatales, and the visual manifestation of inner dreams and nightmares. Strange Realities: The Symbolist Imagination explores this cultural landscape from many perspectives and geographies, including France, Belgium, Norway, and Germany. On the eve of Halloween, join curator Jay A. Clarke to take a closer look at these psychologically intense and relevant works.
Support for this program is provided by the Allan McNab Endowed Fund.
About the Speaker
Jay A. Clarke is the Rothman Family Curator of Prints and Drawings at the Art Institute of Chicago. Her recent exhibitions and publications include, Bridget Riley: Drawings from the Artist’s Studio (2022), Edvard Munch: Trembling Earth (2023), Picasso: Drawing from Life (2023), and Paula Modersohn-Becker: I Am Me (2024). She has written several articles on Käthe Kollwitz, Edvard Munch, and the materials, processes, and markets of prints and drawings circa 1900.
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Closed captioning will be available for this program. For questions related to accessibility accommodations, please email [email protected].
