Marketing Modernism in Fin-de-Siècle Europe

The book offers a critical examination of modernism's origins, linking it to the Impressionist movement and highlighting the intricate relationship between art and commerce. Jensen argues that modernism's success was rooted in its historical legitimacy and that the avant-garde thrived on the paradox of anti-commercialism. He explores the economic, aesthetic, and institutional factors that contributed to modern art's rise by the early 1900s, emphasizing the impact of the dealer/gallery market and the establishment of a canon of modernist masters in legitimizing the movement.