Regards de l’Est sur l’abstraction. Otto Freundlich, Etienne Béothy, Jean Leppien

Au gré des transferts esthétiques opérés d’est en ouest au XXe siècle par les artistes émigrés, des modifications perceptives et représentatives sont advenues dont cette thèse veut mettre en lumière l’originalité. Elle s’appuie sur le concept d’histoire croisée développé par Michael Werner et Bénédicte Zimmermann. Cette étude « par cas » considère trois figures « discrètes » des avant-gardes, les Allemands Otto Freundlich (1878-1943) et Jean Leppien (1910-1991), le Hongrois Etienne Béothy (1..

Comparing the Cologne Sonderbund of 1912 and the Second Post-Impressionist Exhibition in London

The article examines the agendas of the International Art Exhibition of the West German Sonderbund held in Cologne in 1912 and the Second Post-Impressionist Exhibition organised in London the same year, by contrasting their historical contexts and comparing their theoretical backgrounds. While the shows varied slightly in approach, both sought to give a systematic overview of the latest trends in art, which was then marketed mainly by private dealers. They addressed similar issues, such as defining the inherited tradition and topical dilemmas about the autonomy of painting and its decorative potential. The paper will discuss the emphasis on the progressive timeline and international outlook on modern art they formulated. It will also revisit the role of these exhibitions in light of the currently expanding discussion of the mechanisms that shaped the canon of European modernism