The modernist masquerade : stylizing life, literature, and costumes in Russia / Colleen McQuillen.

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

McQuillen, Colleen, 1972-

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Russian literature--19th century--History and criticism.

Russian literature.

Russian literature--20th century--History and criticism.

Modernism (Literature)--Russia.

Modernism (Literature).

Masquerades--Russia.

Masquerades.

Masquerades in literature.

Physical Description:

1 online resource (299 p.)

Edition:

1st ed.

Place of Publication:

Madison, Wisconsin : University of Wisconsin Press, 2013.

Language Note:

English

Summary:

Masked and costume balls thrived in Russia in the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries during a period of rich literary and theatrical experimentation. The first study of its kind, The Modernist Masquerade examines the cultural history of masquerades in Russia and their representations in influential literary works. The masquerade's widespread appearance as a literary motif in works by such writers as Anna Akhmatova, Leonid Andreev, Andrei Bely, Aleksandr Blok, and Fyodor Sologub mirrored its popularity as a leisure-time activity and illuminated its integral role in the Russian modernist creative consciousness. Colleen McQuillen charts how the political, cultural, and personal significance of lavish costumes and other forms of self-stylizing evolved in Russia over time. She shows how their representations in literature engaged in dialog with the diverse aesthetic trends of Decadence, Symbolism, and Futurism and with the era's artistic philosophies.

Contents:

""Contents""; ""List of Illustrations""; ""Acknowledgments""; ""A Note on Transliteration and Abbreviations""; ""Introduction: Masquerades in Russian History and Culture""; ""Part I: Imitation and Stylization""; ""1. The Travestied Masquerade: Aesthetics, Ethics, and Demonism""; ""2. The Political Masquerade: Impersonation, National Identity, and Power""; ""3. The Gender Masquerade: Constructions of Feminine Identity""; ""Part II: Costume Design and Theatricality""; ""4. Figurative Costumes: Metaphors in Text and Textile""

""5. Character Costumes: Cultural Memory and the Philological Masquerade """"6. Avant-Garde Costumes: Estranging Practices of Masquerade""; ""7. Revealing Costumes: Bared Bodies on Stage""; ""Conclusion: The Early Soviet Masquerade""; ""Notes""; ""Bibliography""; ""Index""

Notes:

Description based upon print version of record.

Includes bibliographical references and index.

Description based on print version record.

ISBN:

9780299296131

029929613X

OCLC:

864900352