Six Cultural Trends That Defined the Roaring Twenties
The Roaring Twenties, characterized by a blend of anxiety and excitement during the interwar period, witnessed the emergence of cultural movements such as Art Deco. Originating in France around 1910, this opulent style gained traction following the 1925 Exposition Internationale des Arts Décoratifs et Industriels Modernes. Notable figures of this era included Tamara de Lempicka, Van Cleef and Arpels, and the Chrysler Building. Expressionist art and cinema, represented by Ernst Ludwig Kirchner and Robert Wiene’s The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari (1920), captured deep emotional resonance. Meanwhile, the Harlem Renaissance thrived with talents like Augusta Savage, despite the challenges posed by discriminatory practices at establishments like the Cotton Club. Surrealism, featuring René Magritte and Elsa Schiaparelli, delved into the realm of the subconscious. The Bauhaus, established by Walter Gropius in 1919, integrated art and industry until its closure by the Nazis in 1933.
Key facts
- Art Deco emerged in France around 1910 and gained popularity after the 1925 Exposition Internationale des Arts Décoratifs et Industriels Modernes in Paris.
- Art Deco was originally known as 'le style moderne' or 'Jazz Moderne'; the name 'Art Deco' was coined in 1968.
- Expressionist artists like Ernst Ludwig Kirchner, Oskar Kokoschka, and Franz Marc used vivid colors and distorted forms for emotional intensity.
- The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari (1920), directed by Robert Wiene, is a masterpiece of German Expressionist film.
- The Harlem Renaissance was propelled by economic prosperity and the emergence of a Black middle class.
- Augusta Savage was a famous sculptor of the Harlem Renaissance.
- The Cotton Club launched jazz legends like Duke Ellington and Cab Calloway but enforced a whites-only policy.
- The Bauhaus was established by Walter Gropius in 1919 and closed by Nazi authorities in 1933.
- Wassily Kandinsky was involved with anthroposophy, and Johannes Itten was a member of the Mazdaznan cult.
- Constructivist textile design was developed by Lyubov Popova and Varvara Stepanova.
- Tatlin's Tower was a utopian structure with rotating office spaces.
- Alexander Rodchenko designed a 'Workers' Club' for the 1925 Paris Exposition.
Entities
Artists
- Tamara de Lempicka
- Ernst Ludwig Kirchner
- Oskar Kokoschka
- Franz Marc
- El Greco
- Robert Wiene
- Augusta Savage
- Duke Ellington
- Cab Calloway
- René Magritte
- Dora Maar
- Kati Horna
- Elsa Schiaparelli
- Germaine Dulac
- Walter Gropius
- Wassily Kandinsky
- Paul Klee
- Johannes Itten
- Vladimir Tatlin
- Varvara Stepanova
- Lyubov Popova
- Alexander Rodchenko
- Marcel Breuer
Institutions
- Van Cleef and Arpels
- Bauhaus
- The Cotton Club
- MoMA
- Sotheby's
- The New York Times
- Smithsonian Magazine
- IMDb
- Fondation d'Entreprise Hermès
- Obelisk Art History
- Arthive
- City Journal
- Smarthistory
Locations
- France
- Paris
- Germany
- Harlem
- New York
- United States
- American South
- Britain
- Switzerland
- Los Angeles
- Russia
- Soviet Union