Dekadence, Bohemian Lands 1880-1914

The catalogue Decadence, Bohemian Lands 1880-1914 is published on the occasion of presidency of the Czech Republic in the Council of the European Union and on the occasion of an accompanying exhibition held in Hôtel de Ville, the main Brussels city hall, and in the Musée provincial Félicien Rops in Namur, Belgium. The catalogue discusses modern Czech art influenced by the ideas of Decadence, and places it in larger European context. It is divided into four sections: Gloomy, Amoral and Morose; The Demon of Love; Satanic Hallucinations and Purgatory of Death. It focuses on authors traditionally linked with the Decadent movement, such as Karel Hlaváček but also on their predecessors, artists of the Prague German community who were also directly influenced by Decadence (Hugo Steiner-Prag, Emil Orlik, Ferdinand Staeger) and, finally, on the works of some Austrian artists who had intensive contacts with Czech culture (Alfred Kubin). The influence of Decadence on artists of so-called early avant-garde, expressionist and cubists is also addressed. A short introductory study focuses on links between Czech and Belgian cultures in the respective period, marked by the birth of Decadence and its borderless philosophy.

The book is produced in Franco - Flemish version only.