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Sacred Spring: God and the Birth of Modernism in Fin De Siecle Vienna
Sacred Spring God and the Birth of Modernism in Fin De Siecle Vienna Author:Robert Weldon Whalen The culture of fin de siècle Vienna continues to fascinate and has been examined at length. There are indeed massive studies of Freud, Mahler, Loos, Klimt, and many other notables from that era. But, in almost every case, these studies ignore the religious dimension of Viennese modernist culture, implying -- if not arguing outright -- th... more »at "modernism" and "religion" are contrary, even hostile, categories. Taking a very different tack, Robert Weldon Whalen in Sacred Spring posits the striking thesis that Viennese modernism, far from being secular, was in fact a deeply religious movement. In vivid language Whalen examines this era of "being torn apart and rising again," casting a penetrating gaze on those Viennese who were on the cutting edge of modern thought. Though the book focuses on avant-garde art, it also connects materials from journalism, popular culture, and contemporary politics in often unusual ways. Students of modernism, the arts, and European cultural history will find that Sacred Spring offers an intriguing, compelling perspective on their subjects. Featuring a beautifully written narrative, the book will also appeal to all readers fascinated by the intersection of culture and faith, by the connection between the arts and the sacred.« less