The Troubled Republic

"Fin-de-siecle France was a period of considerable political and social unease. Governments were unstable, strikes, demonstrations and anarchist terrorism abounded and deep social differences made it difficult to sustain the sense of national identity that the Third Republic sought to foster. Yet at the same time, this decade produced a vibrant visual culture - monumental sculpture, mural decoration, avant-garde painting, posters, illustrations and photography - much of which was used to give expression France's ideological arguments. This book examines the art of this period and shows how it affected - and was affected by - four key issues in social debate."--Jacket.