Modernism

High school (ages 12+)
Art & Creativity

Name:

Date:

Step 1 · Read the article

Open the article and read it at the level above. Then answer the questions below in your own words.

https://smallwhale.org/articles/modernism

Write what each word means, using the article.

Do not copy the article. Write two things you learned, the way you would explain them to a friend.

Answers below are taken from the article’s stored facts, so they match what the student read.

1. What is the core tenets?Emphasis on innovation, experimentation, individualism, and a break from historical traditions
2. What is the key influences?Industrialization, urbanization, photography, non-Western art, scientific advancements, psychoanalysis
3. What is Modernism in art?Modernism is a time when artists made new kinds of art that looked different from old styles. They wanted to show the fast, busy world of the 1800s and 1900s.
4. Why did artists stop painting like old masters?They felt old ways couldn't show the changes of modern life, like cities, machines, and new science. They wanted to try new ideas.

Avant-garde: Artistic or intellectual innovators who push boundaries and challenge conventions.
Formalism: An approach to art that emphasizes visual elements like line, shape, and color over subject matter.
Subjectivity: The philosophical concept that emphasizes personal experience, perspective, and interpretation over objective reality.