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Modern: Genius, Madness, and One Tumultuous Decade That Changed Art Forever
A revelatory, fast-paced account of the most exciting, frenzied, and revolutionary decade in art history—1905 to the dawn of World War I in 1914—and the avant-garde artists who indelibly changed our visual landscape
Modern begins on a specific day—March 22, 1905—at a specific the Salon des Indépendants in Paris, where works of art we recognize as modern were first exhibited. Drawing on his forty five-year fine art career, author Philip Hook illuminates how this new art came to be—and how truly shocking it was.
With Hook’s expert guidance, we witness movement upon movement that burst forth in dizzying Fauvism, Expressionism, Primitivism, Symbolism, Cubism, Futurism, and Abstract art. As Hook barnstorms across Europe—to London, Germany, Moscow, Scandinavia, and everywhere modern art was being made—his vivid accounts breathe new life into the work and times of Picasso, Matisse, Modigliani, Kandinsky, Malevich, Klimt, Schiele, Munch, and nearly two hundred other artists who painted, sculpted, and exhibited alongside them, and whose collective genius was understood and appreciated by few at the time.
Hook reconsiders the decade from a series of fresh What was the conventional art against which Modernism sought to rebel? Why were avant-garde artists so self-obsessed? What persuaded a few bold collectors to buy difficult modern art? And why did others pay so much money for Old Masters at the same time?
Modern helps us answer these questions and more—and to see how avant-garde artists marshaled their genius (and oftentimes their madness) to create works of such profound consequence, they still reverberate today—and which, taken together, made for a movement more influential than even the Renaissance.
Modern begins on a specific day—March 22, 1905—at a specific the Salon des Indépendants in Paris, where works of art we recognize as modern were first exhibited. Drawing on his forty five-year fine art career, author Philip Hook illuminates how this new art came to be—and how truly shocking it was.
With Hook’s expert guidance, we witness movement upon movement that burst forth in dizzying Fauvism, Expressionism, Primitivism, Symbolism, Cubism, Futurism, and Abstract art. As Hook barnstorms across Europe—to London, Germany, Moscow, Scandinavia, and everywhere modern art was being made—his vivid accounts breathe new life into the work and times of Picasso, Matisse, Modigliani, Kandinsky, Malevich, Klimt, Schiele, Munch, and nearly two hundred other artists who painted, sculpted, and exhibited alongside them, and whose collective genius was understood and appreciated by few at the time.
Hook reconsiders the decade from a series of fresh What was the conventional art against which Modernism sought to rebel? Why were avant-garde artists so self-obsessed? What persuaded a few bold collectors to buy difficult modern art? And why did others pay so much money for Old Masters at the same time?
Modern helps us answer these questions and more—and to see how avant-garde artists marshaled their genius (and oftentimes their madness) to create works of such profound consequence, they still reverberate today—and which, taken together, made for a movement more influential than even the Renaissance.
384 pages, Hardcover
Published April 19, 2022
About the author
Philip Hook
16 books29 followersPhilip Hook joined Sotheby’s Impressionist and Modern Art Department as the senior specialist in 1994. Sotheby’s is the most prestigious Fine Art Auction House in the UK. He read History of Art at the University of Cambridge where he also won a soccer blue. In 1973 Philip joined Christie’s directly from University. He headed Christie’s 19th Century Paintings Department from 1980 to 1987. In between working at the two auction houses he founded a London art dealers, The St. James’s Art Group.
He has over 35 years of experience and expertise of the art market, he is the author of five successful novels set in the art world and his book Breakfast at Sotheby’s: An A-Z of The Art World was published by Penguin in November 2013. The latter discusses art’s value as an investment and its place in our society.
Philip has appeared regularly on The Antiques Roadshow (BBC) as a picture expert. He makes frequent public speaking appearances, covering a range of art-related subjects.
Philip’s latest book, Rogues’ Gallery: A History of Art and its Dealers (Feb 2017) exposes five centuries of history, scandals, big wins and horrifying losses in the international art world.
He has over 35 years of experience and expertise of the art market, he is the author of five successful novels set in the art world and his book Breakfast at Sotheby’s: An A-Z of The Art World was published by Penguin in November 2013. The latter discusses art’s value as an investment and its place in our society.
Philip has appeared regularly on The Antiques Roadshow (BBC) as a picture expert. He makes frequent public speaking appearances, covering a range of art-related subjects.
Philip’s latest book, Rogues’ Gallery: A History of Art and its Dealers (Feb 2017) exposes five centuries of history, scandals, big wins and horrifying losses in the international art world.
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Displaying 1 - 14 of 14 reviews
October 25, 2022
History and lots of juicy details of painting and painters, dealers, writers, of 1904 to 1914 mostly France but a bit of German Austrian English usa Italian and Spain ish. Has nice colored plates, index, and bibliographic notes.
June 16, 2025
Hook treats Modernism as a turn to instinct (Nietzschean Dionysianism) through new uses of color, form, space.
May 7, 2024
Really interesting and fantastic book. The chapters are almost like individual essays, so it is perfect to dip into for a quick read. I learned a ton.
May 12, 2024
This is one of the most enjoyable books I’ve read this year to-date. The cover caught my eye at the Seattle Art Museum, the subtitle arched an eyebrow, and the inside jacket info about the book and the author sold it home. This is possibly the most approachable, embraceable, and affordable “art history textbook” one could want.
I studied art history in undergrad during the 90s and still have some of those expensive doorstops, like Arnason and Prather’s History of Modern Art, fourth edition, from 1998 with all too many plates in black & white. Hook, somehow, acquired color plates throughout, and most of the works discussed are fairly new to me, delighting me beyond measure. This truly was a fascinating period of time and one doesn’t need to be an art-buff to appreciate the tumultuousness of it all. The rise of multi-millionaires and massive inequality, of airplanes and moving pictures, of anarchists and suffragists, all leading up to the cataclysmic meat-grinder of the First World War. As Hook deftly illustrates throughout, this was an unprecedented period of time and one not yet repeated.
Now that fine art is a free-for-all, and most likely another profession inevitably destroyed by AI, it helps to better understand how we got here and appreciate the brazen rebelliousness of the avant-garde artists of the twentieth-century. 1905 to 1914 was crazed and the avant-garde art scenes of the time (artists, critics, dealers, scholars, and buyers) irrevocably changed fine art forevermore, as conservative classicism brawled with punkish paradigm-destroyers.
This isn’t a stereotypical timeline kinda’ read. Hook takes us back and forth as we navigate all the little creeks and streams, burbling from the springs of the Impressionists, that fed the raging river that is now known as the inception of true Modern Art in Europe. There are no real socio-political live-wires during this era art-wise (the horrors and hypocrisies of WWI blasted those doors wide open though), but all these pioneering artists (and poets, writers, singers, and performers) highlighted the decadence and debauchery of the era through their personal lives, feeding and fighting one another along the way. Hook highlights the women involved too; this was in no way a male-only enterprise, as art history (and so much more) all-too-often forces us to subconsciously exclude.
The art is pretty much bizarre portraiture and all the nude forms they could conjure in new ways, brain-baked on absinthe and opium, no doubt alongside the heavy metals in their paints and the caustic chemicals in their solvents, waxing philosophical about this and that to justify every brushstroke and delicate daub. A con in a way, but one that ultimately worked postmortem because the fine art world was never the same again (Hook, being an art dealer and auctioneer for nearly 50 years, knows this business and its history extremely well). (I just read an article [https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/20...] about this Mauizio Cattelan bloke who’s firing some 20,000 rounds of various ammunition into gold-covered stainless steel plates, using “weapons as brushes”, and selling them for $350,000 each. The grift grows for those who can afford such pap and I believe Cattelan knows how absurd it all is in this Age of Billionaires & Oligarchs who find all kinds of ways to hide their ungodly wealth from taxation.)
Such stuff starts with the subject of this beautifully written, beautifully illustrated, beautifully researched book.
I studied art history in undergrad during the 90s and still have some of those expensive doorstops, like Arnason and Prather’s History of Modern Art, fourth edition, from 1998 with all too many plates in black & white. Hook, somehow, acquired color plates throughout, and most of the works discussed are fairly new to me, delighting me beyond measure. This truly was a fascinating period of time and one doesn’t need to be an art-buff to appreciate the tumultuousness of it all. The rise of multi-millionaires and massive inequality, of airplanes and moving pictures, of anarchists and suffragists, all leading up to the cataclysmic meat-grinder of the First World War. As Hook deftly illustrates throughout, this was an unprecedented period of time and one not yet repeated.
Now that fine art is a free-for-all, and most likely another profession inevitably destroyed by AI, it helps to better understand how we got here and appreciate the brazen rebelliousness of the avant-garde artists of the twentieth-century. 1905 to 1914 was crazed and the avant-garde art scenes of the time (artists, critics, dealers, scholars, and buyers) irrevocably changed fine art forevermore, as conservative classicism brawled with punkish paradigm-destroyers.
This isn’t a stereotypical timeline kinda’ read. Hook takes us back and forth as we navigate all the little creeks and streams, burbling from the springs of the Impressionists, that fed the raging river that is now known as the inception of true Modern Art in Europe. There are no real socio-political live-wires during this era art-wise (the horrors and hypocrisies of WWI blasted those doors wide open though), but all these pioneering artists (and poets, writers, singers, and performers) highlighted the decadence and debauchery of the era through their personal lives, feeding and fighting one another along the way. Hook highlights the women involved too; this was in no way a male-only enterprise, as art history (and so much more) all-too-often forces us to subconsciously exclude.
The art is pretty much bizarre portraiture and all the nude forms they could conjure in new ways, brain-baked on absinthe and opium, no doubt alongside the heavy metals in their paints and the caustic chemicals in their solvents, waxing philosophical about this and that to justify every brushstroke and delicate daub. A con in a way, but one that ultimately worked postmortem because the fine art world was never the same again (Hook, being an art dealer and auctioneer for nearly 50 years, knows this business and its history extremely well). (I just read an article [https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/20...] about this Mauizio Cattelan bloke who’s firing some 20,000 rounds of various ammunition into gold-covered stainless steel plates, using “weapons as brushes”, and selling them for $350,000 each. The grift grows for those who can afford such pap and I believe Cattelan knows how absurd it all is in this Age of Billionaires & Oligarchs who find all kinds of ways to hide their ungodly wealth from taxation.)
Such stuff starts with the subject of this beautifully written, beautifully illustrated, beautifully researched book.
February 16, 2023
First of all, this book is worth the cost for the art reproductions alone. Philip Hook chose the selections masterfully, and discussed each painting on the same page the painting appeared. (Some books are discombobulating in this way, so this is worth mentioning.) Many photos contrasted two works from the same art year, comparing conservative with innovative, or changing styles within said innovation. It was lovely to see favorites old and new, and to discover artists I don't know well. This book offers me a list of folks to explore further.
Some reviewers found this a "can't-put-down" page-turner, but I found some of the information dry at times. The book is organized a bit chaotically, possibly in a Cubist style, ha ha. As one who is not well-versed in the world of art history, it is apparent to me that this is a text well-suited to those who are more deeply involved in the art world. I might have preferred a bit more organization in material presentation, either by subject, chronologically, or focused on particular patrons and artists. Still, the book is stuffed with information and opens doors for the reader to explore further. Hook offers a detailed bibliography and well-organized index at the end. This book would be a wonderful text for an art history course. I particularly enjoyed Chapter 22: Supermen, which ties technology, dance, and music in with the visual art of the time.
As a professional musician and professor, I am fascinated by books about the arts since so much intertwines with my chosen field. The music world was affected by the art world which was affected by dance and technology and on and on. The time period of 1905-1914 saw HUGE changes in music as well as art, and Arnold Schoenberg's life and music were woven into these chapters. Alma Mahler, widow of composer Gustav Mahler, appeared as well. Of course, the focus is art.
Thank you to Amazon Vine and The Experiment press for the complimentary review copy.
Some reviewers found this a "can't-put-down" page-turner, but I found some of the information dry at times. The book is organized a bit chaotically, possibly in a Cubist style, ha ha. As one who is not well-versed in the world of art history, it is apparent to me that this is a text well-suited to those who are more deeply involved in the art world. I might have preferred a bit more organization in material presentation, either by subject, chronologically, or focused on particular patrons and artists. Still, the book is stuffed with information and opens doors for the reader to explore further. Hook offers a detailed bibliography and well-organized index at the end. This book would be a wonderful text for an art history course. I particularly enjoyed Chapter 22: Supermen, which ties technology, dance, and music in with the visual art of the time.
As a professional musician and professor, I am fascinated by books about the arts since so much intertwines with my chosen field. The music world was affected by the art world which was affected by dance and technology and on and on. The time period of 1905-1914 saw HUGE changes in music as well as art, and Arnold Schoenberg's life and music were woven into these chapters. Alma Mahler, widow of composer Gustav Mahler, appeared as well. Of course, the focus is art.
Thank you to Amazon Vine and The Experiment press for the complimentary review copy.
January 16, 2022
Highly text heavy, educational and interesting book on modern art ranging from the late 19th century through the beginning of the early 20th century.
The chronological timeline is straightforward and helpful, and Philip Hook is clearly an incredibly knowledgeable voice in the modern art world.
The list of modern art photos shown in the book along with detailed references are an verifiable wealth of knowledge.
This book would be fantastic for anyone with a special interest in modern Art, collectors who want to know a more thorough backstory on an artist or anyone studying to be an art historian in a college course.
The chronological timeline is straightforward and helpful, and Philip Hook is clearly an incredibly knowledgeable voice in the modern art world.
The list of modern art photos shown in the book along with detailed references are an verifiable wealth of knowledge.
This book would be fantastic for anyone with a special interest in modern Art, collectors who want to know a more thorough backstory on an artist or anyone studying to be an art historian in a college course.
January 15, 2024
This was among the upper echelons of pop art books that I’ve read - a thorough overview of the most popular artists who helped shape the early beginnings of modern art, it’s both thorough in its review of style and how modern art moved in society as well as pretty fucking juicy on some of the social details (and if not focused on women artists and patrons, it doesn’t leave them out either). Highly readable, would recommend if you’re interested in the period.
February 18, 2023
I enjoyed this read a lot and I'm not into modern art at all. The focus is on one decade and it encompasses the artists, the trends and the business. The author's writing style is very readable and he makes it all accessible. It is early in the year for 2023 but I think this may be one book that will be on my favorites for the year 2023 list.
Read
June 28, 2022An excellent introduction to the people and movements that made up modern art. Really good biography but not a critical perspective of the art or artists. If you are curious about modern art and want to know more about the motivations and rivalries, this would be a great book to pick up.
February 16, 2023
There is an overwhelming amount of good information here. Meaning: I skipped a lot of the text and just focused on the artwork. It was vivid and glorious. The change in one decade is almost incomprehensible.
August 4, 2022
The short window of time from the late 1880s until the first world war produced a dramatic change in our perception of the world. Nietzchian, proclaiming our slaughter of God, rose as the great saint of inward expansion. His talismanic presence deeply resonated with the 20th century modernists: Munch, De Chirico, Van Vogh, Matisse, Picasso.
The placid beauty of Parisian impressionist water lilies now lay deaden to the shared dark and anxious visionaries. The brushstrokes of the isms fauvism, primitivism, cubism, and the great disassembler surrealism gave form to the anger, anxiety, and impuslive desire of the artist. Painting once the reflection of beauty, now the window to the inner anxiety. The female nude complicated by her ambiguity in Matisse’s “Blue Nude” or inscrutable sexuality in Picasso’s “Les Demoiselles”. The rise of modernism could be felt in the bellicose futurism of Marinetti , the spiritual abstraction of Kadinsky and the cut-up collages of Picassco/Braque.
The old European order of aristocracy and classical values menacingly cut down from the radical reinvention Across the span of 10 years, the modernist voice of intuition deconstruction of classical from found itself spreading across the European continent, and appreciated by Russian and America as well.
In August 1914 ‘The Great War’, would cut short the vision. Paris would be in flames by 1915 zeppelin bombardment. The mechanism of modern war in full fury until the western alliance achieved an armistice in WW1. Over 20 million dead, a continent and its ideals in ruins, all remaining were the canvases of screams, explosive color, swirls of form and a toilet with a signature.
The placid beauty of Parisian impressionist water lilies now lay deaden to the shared dark and anxious visionaries. The brushstrokes of the isms fauvism, primitivism, cubism, and the great disassembler surrealism gave form to the anger, anxiety, and impuslive desire of the artist. Painting once the reflection of beauty, now the window to the inner anxiety. The female nude complicated by her ambiguity in Matisse’s “Blue Nude” or inscrutable sexuality in Picasso’s “Les Demoiselles”. The rise of modernism could be felt in the bellicose futurism of Marinetti , the spiritual abstraction of Kadinsky and the cut-up collages of Picassco/Braque.
The old European order of aristocracy and classical values menacingly cut down from the radical reinvention Across the span of 10 years, the modernist voice of intuition deconstruction of classical from found itself spreading across the European continent, and appreciated by Russian and America as well.
In August 1914 ‘The Great War’, would cut short the vision. Paris would be in flames by 1915 zeppelin bombardment. The mechanism of modern war in full fury until the western alliance achieved an armistice in WW1. Over 20 million dead, a continent and its ideals in ruins, all remaining were the canvases of screams, explosive color, swirls of form and a toilet with a signature.
January 10, 2022
Releases 4/12/2022, I read an advanced copy. I will be honest. I read the introduction and skimmed the rest. This is a little too scholarly for me. Modernist work, generally in the decade pre-WWII is one of my favorite periods. I love the colors, freedom of composition, and flow. My favorite part of the book are the beautiful illustrations where realist and modernist paintings from the same year are side-by-side. Some of my favorite artists are early Picasso, Klimt, Kandinsky, Matisse, and Gauguin; and of course the Impressionists of the same period.
October 27, 2022
As someone who knew these painters and some of their works a bit, but not the full-narrative story, there were some useful passages (e.g. the development of Fauvism, Baque and Picasso forming the van guard of cubism, the public reaction to the art, and the role that the more iconic works of Matisse and Picasso played in this period).
However, I did skim a lot, especially through whole sections, and my personal rule is that if I skim a book heavily 3/5 is my evaluative ceiling for it, even if I loved parts of it.
However, I did skim a lot, especially through whole sections, and my personal rule is that if I skim a book heavily 3/5 is my evaluative ceiling for it, even if I loved parts of it.
February 20, 2023
I enjoy modern art, but man were the modern artists completely weird. Such an interesting and strange read about a decade that changed so much in art for the twentieth century.
Displaying 1 - 14 of 14 reviews