Belle Epoque Paris: An Urban Quilt of Literature, Music, Art, and Architecture

(3 Credits)

An Urban Quilt of Literature, Music, Art, and Architecture: "Life imitates art far more than art imitates life," wrote Oscar Wilde in his 1899 essay "The Decay of Lying: an Observation." What effect does art have in society? Can it open new ways of seeing, make us question our beliefs, reveal uncomfortable truths? Can it change the world? Or does it merely reflect prevailing power structures? And how should we make sense of the patriarchal and colonial perspectives common among artists from the past, even those most critical of their time? Students will explore Paris as an intertextual urban space, where the creative genius of 19th- and 20th-century artists reverberates throughout the city. We study fiction, poetry, painting, music, theater, opera, and film, focusing on literary works by Zola, Balzac, Colette, and Proust, and artworks by the impressionists, fauvists, pointillists, and cubists. Through interviews, research, and project-based visits to theaters, cafes, monuments, and museums, we will build a collective mindmap to make sense of the contradictions and intersections of Paris's urban space. Beyond learning about the past of a single city, we will seek to become critical navigators of the present and future. This is an away course in Paris.