The Violent Muse: Violence and the Artistic Imagination in Europe, 1910-1939

This book presents an analysis of the phenomenon of the aesthetics of sexual and political violence, a central theme in European culture of the early 20th century. Presenting a synthesis of a wide range of material across disciplines and an analysis of the sources of such ideas in their political, historical and cultural context, this volume presents a broad treatment of the theme of violence during this turbulent period. The major cultural movements and individuals of the early 20th-century avant-garde are examined for their use of violence as inspiration in their artistic production. Themes explored include violence and the body; machinery and technology; Vorticism; Dada; Italian Futurism; Surrealism; violence in the avant-garde cinema; military defeat and the representation of war; the relationship of creativity and violence. Exploring the work of English, German, Italian, French, Spanish and Russian painters and writers, including Georges Sorel, Wyndham Lewis, Paul Nash, Brecht and Louis-Ferdinand Celine, the contributors provide an insight into the early 20th-century European avant-garde.