Avant-Garde Fascism: The Mobilization of Myth, Art, and Culture in France, 1909–1939

373 Pages·2007·3.8 MB·English

by  Mark Antliff

Avant-Garde FAscism

FAscism
Avant-Garde
The Mobilization of
Myth, Art, and
Culture in France,
1909–1939
Mark antliff
Duke University Press Durham and London 2007
© 2007 Duke University Press
All rights reserved
Printed in the United States of America on acid-free paper ♾
Designed by Heather Hensley
Typeset in Minion Pro by Tseng Information Systems, Inc.
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data appear on the last
printed page of this book.
Duke University Press gratefully acknowledges the support of the
Department of Art and Art History at Duke University, which provided
funds toward the production of this book.
for Patricia leighten,
on our unfolding journey together

cONTENTs
ix List of Illustrations
xiii Acknowledgments
1 Introduction
17 chapter 1
Fascism, Modernism, and Modernity
63 chapter 2
The Jew as Anti-Artist: Georges Sorel and the Aesthetics
of the Anti-Enlightenment
111 chapter 3
La Cité Française: Georges Valois, Le Corbusier, and Fascist
Theories of Urbanism
155 chapter 4
Machine Primitives: Philippe Lamour and the Fascist Cult
of Youth
203 chapter 5
Classical Violence: Thierry Maulnier and the Legacy of the
Cercle Proudhon
247 Conclusion
255 Notes
323 Bibliography
345 Index

LisT OF iLLusTrATiONs
1. Jean Guiet, Georges Sorel. 3
2. Oskar Martin-Amorbach, The Sower. 27
3. Mario Sironi, Urban Landscape. 31
4. Esoda Pratelli, with Luigi Freddi, Room A.
Exhibition of the Fascist Revolution, Rome, 1932. 35
5. Giuseppi Terragni, Casa del Fascio, Como. 40
6. Adalberto Libera and Antonio Valente, Room U.
Exhibition of the Fascist Revolution, Rome, 1932. 41
7. Ardengo Soffici, Procession. 45
8. Roger Chapelin-Midy, The Grape Harvest. 46
9. Emil Nolde, Nudes and Eunuch. 48
10. Farmhouse with loggia, near Gandino, Val Seriana. 52
11. Mussolini as skier at Terminillo, near Rome. 55
12. Ferdinand Staeger, We Are the Work Soldiers. 58
13. Hans Liska, Drawing of Josef Thorak’s studio. 59
14. Ignacio Zuloaga y Zabaleta, Portrait of Maurice
Barrès with Toledo in the Background. 86
15. El Greco, Burial of Count Orgaz. 86
16. Ignazio Zuloaga y Zabaleta, Portrait of
Elémir Bourges, author. 87