The Age of Illusion: Art and Politics in France, 1918-40

UK: Thames & Hudson Ltd, 1987. Soft cover. Very Good/No Jacket. 26.7 x 21.1 x 1.3 cm. p/b 160 pages, condition is very good. Between the wars, Paris was a magical , glittering city, the vibrant capital of the world of art. It was alive with artists, musicians and writers from every continent who contributed to a period of rapid change. Yet there was a curious air of unreality. marcel Duchamp took a bottle of rack and called it art. The great exposition des Arts Decoratifs brought a new look - Art Deco - to the world. Metal furniture appeared. Women cut their hair and trimmed their hems. le Corbusier drew up a plan for Paris that would have meant the virtual demolition of its centre.The staid Paris Opera showed Abel Gance's revolutionary film Napoleon. Diaghilev's Ballets Russes continued toremake the face of dance. Andre breton wrote the first Manifesto of Surrealism, questioning the concept of reality itself.