The Belle Epoque : a cultural history, Paris and beyond / Dominique Kalifa; translated by Susan Emanuel.

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Kalifa, Dominique, author.

Contributor:

Emanuel, Susan, translator.

Series:

European Perspectives: A Series in Social Thought and Cultural Criticism

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Arts, French--19th century.

Arts, French.

Arts, French--20th century.

France--Civilization--1830-1900.

France.

Physical Description:

1 online resource (262 pages) : illustrations

Place of Publication:

New York, New York : Columbia University Press, [2021]

Summary:

The years before the First World War have long been romanticized as a zenith of French culture—the “Belle Époque.” The era is seen as the height of a lost way of life that remains emblematic of what it means to be French. In a vast range of texts and images, it appears as a carefree time full of joie de vivre, fanfare and frills, artistic daring, and scientific innovation. The Moulin Rouge shared the stage with the Universal Exposition, Toulouse-Lautrec rubbed elbows with Marie Curie and La Belle Otero, and Fantômas invented automatic writing.This book traces the making—and the imagining—of the Belle Époque to reveal how and why it became a cultural myth. Dominique Kalifa lifts the veil on a period shrouded in nostalgia, explaining the century-long need to continuously reinvent and even sanctify this moment. He sifts through images handed down in memoirs and reminiscences, literature and film, art and history to explore the many facets of the era, including its worldwide reception. The Belle Époque was born in France, but it quickly went global as other countries adopted the concept to write their own histories. In shedding light on how the Belle Époque has been celebrated and reimagined, Kalifa also offers a nuanced meditation on time, history, and memory.

Contents:

Frontmatter

Contents

PROLOGUE: TIME REGAINED

PART ONE: “THE 1900 ÉPOQUE”

PART TWO: AH! LA BELLE ÉPOQUE!

PART THREE: THE ORDEAL OF THE “FIN DE SIÈCLE”

EPILOGUE: TANGLED TIMES

POSTSCRIPT: THE BELLE ÉPOQUE AND THE GILDED AGE

NOTES

BIBLIOGRAPHY

INDEX

Notes:

Includes bibliographical references and index.

Description based on print version record.

ISBN:

0-231-55438-9

OCLC:

1269268906