THE ROLE OF WOMEN IN ART – MODERNISM AND ABSTRACTION IN THE PERIOD 1910-1925
THE ROLE OF WOMEN IN ART – MODERNISM AND ABSTRACTION IN THE PERIOD 1910-1925

Summary/Abstract: Abstraction in painting and sculpture developed simultaneously in several European capitals in the first decade of the 20th century. This phenomenon was, of course, inextricably linked to the formal developments of post-impressionism and cubism, implying the desire to separate from nature but also to give the resulting new art a deep spiritual content, thus becoming a characteristic of the modernist period. This paper analyzes the defining aspects of the development of abstraction in art at the beginning of the 20th century. On the one hand, we will present the way in which the visual language specific to modernism derived from the decorative arts, especially the textile one, and on the other hand, we will analyze the way in which the fashion currents that resulted from the geometric abstractions in art, have come to signify modernity, being able at the same time to evade social changes that have taken place, ultimately eroding the ideal of individual artistic freedom, so valued by modern artists since the beginning of the 20th century. We will seek to understand the role of women in modern artistic creation, both as producers of this new visual culture but also as signifiers of the meaning of everything that was created during this period. The present paper also refers to the change in the interpretation of the female body in art, moving from the previous status, seen as an erotic attack on the female form (e.g.: "Prostitutes" by Manet and Picasso, "Primitives" by Gauguin, "Nudes" of Matisse – who presented women as powerless and sexually subjugated), to stylistic and formal innovations.

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