Classroom Internet Library > The Arts > Visual Arts > Art History > 20th/21st Century

Audio Interviews
e. e. cummings on what makes an artist. Watson and Crick on the discovery of DNA. Any Warhol speaks on how he selected his portrait subjects. Artists, poets, writers, actors, politicians, and other key figures of the 20th century are featured in audio interviews at this site from the BBC. In addition to the interviews, you will also find biographies.
Intended Audience: General Reading Level: High School Teacher Section: No Searchable: No

Women of Our Time
The 20th century was a time of incredible challenges and advances for women. This interactive exhibit from the National Portrait Gallery features photographs and biographical information of some of the century's most prominent women. In addition to the online gallery, you can also learn about the ways photography can document life and learn about a variety of photographers and their styles of portraiture.
Intended Audience: General Reading Level: Middle/High School Teacher Section: No Searchable: No

The Legacy Project
Exploring the impact of historical tragedies of the 20th century though art and scholarship is the foundation of this site. Virtual exhibits include: Frank Stella, The Polish Village Series, Echoes of Guernica, and 49 of 2870 - A Memory of September 11. There is also a visual arts library with contemporary works from artists around the world searchable by artist, world event, decade, artist's country of origin, and theme. The site also features a searchable filmography curated by Josh Siegel of the The Museum of Modern Art, a searchable Literary Sampler with writings from around the world, and a Virtual Symposium with ongoing discussions of remembrance issues in cultures around the world.
Intended Audience: General Reading Level: High School Teacher Section: No Searchable: Yes

America in the 1930s
Travel back to the 1930s and view the period through its films, radio programs, literature, journalism, museums, exhibitions, architecture, art, and other forms of cultural expression.
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Movements
Explore modern art at this site from the Guggenheim Museum organized by movement. You can learn about Dada, Futurism, Expressionism, Pop Art, Minimalism, Surrealism, and more. You will find essays exploring the movements and images of works held by the Guggenheim along with profiles of the artists.
Intended Audience: General Reading Level: High School Teacher Section: No Searchable: Yes

Guernica: Testimony of War
Proving the adage that a picture is worth a thousand words, Picasso's masterpiece Guernica powerfully captures the horror of war. This site traces the history of the painting, the Spanish Civil war, the bombing of Guernica, and also examines the role of art in politics.
Intended Audience: General Reading Level: High School Teacher Section: Yes Searchable: No

The Last Expression: Art and Auschwitz
Using essays, biographies, interviews, and art this site explores the role, function and meaning of art in Nazi concentration camps during WWII with a special focus on Auschwitz.
Intended Audience: General Reading Level: High School Teacher Section: No Searchable: No

Posters: American Style
Posters have provided some of the country's most powerful cultural messages. This site from the Smithsonian Museum of American Art provides images of some of the great graphic images made in the United States over the past century and looks at the process of using visual imagery for communicating patriotic, commercial and propaganda messages. A special section of the site explores the historical events that inspired selected posters.
Intended Audience: General Reading Level: High School Teacher Section: No Searchable: Yes

Modernism
Take a look at some examples of architecture and design from the Arts and Crafts Movement, Bauhaus, Art Nouveau, and Art Deco at this site from the Minneapolis Institute of Art.
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Henri Matisse: The Fauves
Characterized by landscapes with unnaturally bright colors and distorted forms, the Fauve period only lasted four years. This site from the National Gallery of Art looks at the movement, with a focus on the work of Matisse. You will also find works by Georges Braque, André Derain, Maurice de Vlaminck, and Albert Marquet.
Intended Audience: General Reading Level: High School Teacher Section: No Searchable: No

The Group of Seven
This group of Canadian artists included J.E.H. MacDonald, Lawren Harris, A.Y. Jackson, Arthur Lismer, Franklin Carmichael, F.H. Varley, and Frank Johnston. This site provides profiles of the artists and images of some of their works.
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Norton Simon Museum of Art: 20th Century Art
You'll find works by Ansel Adams, John Altoon, Josef Albers, Georges Braque, Lyonel Feininger, Juan Gris, Alexei Jawlensky, Vasily Kandinsky, Paul Klee, Henri Matisse, Amedeo Modigliani, Pablo Picasso, Alexander Calder, and Andy Warhol at this site. Sections of each object can be enlarged up to four times and each item is accompanied by a detailed description.
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Eye Contact: Modern American Portrait Drawing
Explore the rocky path of portrait drawing from the 1880s to the 1980s at this site from Smithsonian National Portrait Gallery. The exhibit includes works by Mary Cassatt, Milton Avery, Thomas Hart Benton, Edward Hopper, Roy Lichtenstein, Joseph Stella, Jacob Lawrence, and Andy Warhol.
Intended Audience: General Reading Level: Middle/High School Teacher Section: Yes Searchable: No

Ashcan Artists and Their New York
Led by artist and teacher Robert Henri, this group of artists painted the gritty urban reality of life on the street in New York City in the early 1900s. This site from the Smithsonian Museum of American Art looks at these artists and the historical context of their work. You'll find works by Robert Henri, George Bellows, William Glackens, George Luks, Everett Shinn, and John Sloan along with brief profiles of the artists.
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Expressionism
Emote, emote, emote was the battle cry of this movement. This site from The Allen Memorial Art Museum at Oberlin College features works by artists like Oskar Kokoschka, Alexej von Jawlensky, Paul Klee, and Ernst Ludwig Kirchner. You will also find artist profiles and detailed descriptions of the works.
Intended Audience: General Reading Level: High School Teacher Section: No Searchable: No

International Dada Archive
This site from the University of Iowa Libraries provides information about the Dada movement and the Dada writers and artists, as well as links to other Internet resources.
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WWW Pop Art
This site contains brief profiles of pop art artists like Keith Haring, Christo, Andy Warhol, Robert Rauschenberg, Gerhard Richter, and David Hockney.
Intended Audience: General Reading Level: High School Teacher Section: No Searchable: No