Between the years of 1919 and 1933, the Weimar Republic was a world leader in art and entertainment. However, it was also torn apart by severe economic depressions and political violence. This intense atmosphere provided a powerful context for the art and films of the period. As the political and economic tides shifted, the style of painting and filmmaking changed, as well. The idealistic Expressionist art of the years immediately following the optimistic revolution subsided as a sober realism emerged. This New Objectivity was both evident in the paintings of artists such as Otto Dix and George Grosz, as well as in the films of G.W. Pabst. However, within the changing artistic and social climate of Weimar Germany, Pabst has received little attention by scholars. This thesis contextualizes G.W. Pabst, one of Weimar's leading film directors, within the artistic transitions and social climate of the era, specifically analyzing issues of class and gender within his silent features. / Master of Arts

Desde a publicação de Angústia, em 1936, tem-se observado que a crítica dedicoulhe uma atenção desigual, não a colocando em realce como se pretende neste trabalho. O intuito da análise da obra de Graciliano Ramos, (1892 AL 1953 RJ), é destacar sua importância e singularidade no cenário da Literatura Brasileira, distinguindo-a das obras produzidas na década de 1930; aproximando-a daquelas que são símbolo de modernidade, obras essas, marcadas pelo distanciamento do realismo presente, na literatura, até o final do século XIX (Hauser); observando o pensamento de Graciliano quanto a seu projeto político e literário, presentes em Angústia. Esta análise faz aproximações com a estética expressionista e com a Nova Objetividade; no caso do Expressionismo, associando-o às imagens grotescas encontradas com freqüência nessa obra de Graciliano e, quanto a Nova Objetividade, esta se aproxima da visão crítica às instituições sob o olhar do protagonista; observa também a construção da personagem, um homem solitário, isolado, segundo Fehér, em uma sociedade social. / Since Angústia was published in 1936 it has been observed that the critic has devoted uneven attention to it by not highlighting it as this present work attempts. The aim of this analysis of the work of Graciliano Ramos (1892 AL 1953 RJ) is to emphasize its importance and singularity in the Brazilian Literature scenario, by distinguishing it from other works produced in the 1930s and approaching it to the ones that are symbols of modernity and therefore, are marked by the distancing of realism that was present in literature until the end of the 20th century (Hauser) and also observing Gracilianos political and literary project present in Angústia. This analysis makes relations with the expressionist aesthetics and with the New Objectivity. Expressionism is associated to the grotesque images frequently found in this work by Graciliano whereas the New Objectivity is related to the critical view of institutions in the eyes of the protagonist. It also observes the construction of the character, a lonely man, isolated, according to Fehér, in a social society.

Desde a publicação de Angústia, em 1936, tem-se observado que a crítica dedicoulhe uma atenção desigual, não a colocando em realce como se pretende neste trabalho. O intuito da análise da obra de Graciliano Ramos, (1892 AL 1953 RJ), é destacar sua importância e singularidade no cenário da Literatura Brasileira, distinguindo-a das obras produzidas na década de 1930; aproximando-a daquelas que são símbolo de modernidade, obras essas, marcadas pelo distanciamento do realismo presente, na literatura, até o final do século XIX (Hauser); observando o pensamento de Graciliano quanto a seu projeto político e literário, presentes em Angústia. Esta análise faz aproximações com a estética expressionista e com a Nova Objetividade; no caso do Expressionismo, associando-o às imagens grotescas encontradas com freqüência nessa obra de Graciliano e, quanto a Nova Objetividade, esta se aproxima da visão crítica às instituições sob o olhar do protagonista; observa também a construção da personagem, um homem solitário, isolado, segundo Fehér, em uma sociedade social. / Since Angústia was published in 1936 it has been observed that the critic has devoted uneven attention to it by not highlighting it as this present work attempts. The aim of this analysis of the work of Graciliano Ramos (1892 AL 1953 RJ) is to emphasize its importance and singularity in the Brazilian Literature scenario, by distinguishing it from other works produced in the 1930s and approaching it to the ones that are symbols of modernity and therefore, are marked by the distancing of realism that was present in literature until the end of the 20th century (Hauser) and also observing Gracilianos political and literary project present in Angústia. This analysis makes relations with the expressionist aesthetics and with the New Objectivity. Expressionism is associated to the grotesque images frequently found in this work by Graciliano whereas the New Objectivity is related to the critical view of institutions in the eyes of the protagonist. It also observes the construction of the character, a lonely man, isolated, according to Fehér, in a social society.

In the early 1920s, Gustav Friedrich Hartlaub created a fine arts movement that began in Weimar, Germany, which questioned artistic Expressionism. In 1923, he formed an art exhibition to display new art works of simplicity that were of his anti-Expressionist goal. This exhibition was termed Neue Sachlichkeit, or New Objectivity, and quickly became associated with all fine arts. Music of Neue Sachlichkeit ideals during the 1920s and 1930s began to exhibit anti-Expressionist concepts of form, neoclassicism and limited instrumentation. Paul Hindemith was among the leading figures of Neue Sachlichkeit music. Although Paul Hindemith's Septet (1948) was composed during his later career, it shows many Neue Sachlichkeit traits found previously in the 1920s and 1930s. Characteristics of limited/mixed instrumentation, neoclassic instrumentation and form, and Baroque counterpoint are found in the Septet. These traits can also be head in earlier Neue Sachlichkeit pieces by Hindemith such as Hin und zuruck, op. 45a (1927), Das Marienleben (1922/23, rev. 1948) and Neues vom Tage (1929). Chapter 2 examines the Neue Sachlichkeit movement within the fine arts. Chapter 3 gives a brief biography of Paul Hindemith with a concentration on his influence of Neue Sachlichkeit music of the 1920s and 1930s. This chapter also relates this period of Hindemith's earlier career with his techniques used in later works, such as the Septet. Chapter 4 discusses how the Septet directly relates to the Neue Sachlichkeit fine arts movement. Chapter 5 gives a general analysis of the Septet. This analysis provides the reader with an understanding of the forms and tonal relationships used in the Septet. This summarizes the neoclassicism of the Septet and shows traits of Neue Sachlichkeit. Chapter 6 concludes with an examination of the mixed instrumentation of the Septet.

This thesis aims to research the art of Swedish painter Stina Forssell (1906-1970) with a special focus on her paintings of interiors from the early half of the 20th century. The theoretical starting point is the interior as an expression of self-definition as proposed by the cultural critic Walter Benjamin in The Arcades Project. The method used is an in-depth analysis of the selected paintings adopted from Tamar Garbs contextual and in-depth analysis in Bodies of modernity: figure and flesh in fin-de-siècle France combined with archival research. The thesis show that the artist’s interior paintings can be understood as expressions relating to the new objectivity, but also that her motives are deeply rooted in the art history. The analysis further shows that Forssells representations of her home and studio paintings can be understood as ”a room of one’s own” in line with Virginia Woolf, and as manifestations of her professional identity. / Den här uppsatsen undersöker den svenska konstnären Stina Forssell (1906–1970) med ett särskilt fokus på hennes interiörer från 1930- och 40-talen. Den teoretiska utgångspunkten för studien är Walter Benjamins teorier om interiören som en skådeplats för individens självdefiniering som den kommer till uttryck i hans bok Passagearbetet. Metoden för studien är djupgående bildanalyser med inspiration från Tamar Garbs metod i Bodies of modernity: figure and flesh in fin-de-siècle France kombinerat med arkivforskning. Resultatet visar att Forssells detaljerade och omsorgsfulla gestaltningar dels kan relateras till strömningen den nya sakligheten men också att hennes gestaltningar är djupt rotade i en konsthistorisk tradition. I arbetet visar jag att konstnärens interiörer från hemmet och ateljén kan förstås som bilden av ett eget rum och som manifestationer av konstnärens professionella identitet. På grund av att konstnären är knapphändigt hanterad i konsthistorieskrivningen finns i uppsatsen också en biografi, som även är tänkt att underlätta för framtida forskning.

Uppsatsen handlar om konstnären Stina Forssells (1906-1970) liv och konstnärskap. Då hon varit tämligen okänd ges en biografisk skildring av hennes liv, från uppväxten i Uddevalla och fortsatta liv och verksamhet i Stockholm. Fakta har främst inhämtats via intervjuer av barn och barnbarn till vänner och släktingar. Hennes konstnärskap skildras genom beskrivning och tolkning av hennes huvudsakliga motivbilder som bestod av porträtt, interiörer, stilleben och landskap. Tolkningar sker genom formalanalyser och kontextuella analyser. Vidare studeras på vad sätt Forssells personlighet och den konst- och samhälleliga kontexten påverkade hennes konstnärskap samt hur hennes konstnärskap värderats utifrån ett genusperspektiv.     Utöver att vara en biografisk och konstanalytisk studie har ett av uppsatsens viktigaste syften varit att analysera vilken konststil Forssells konst kan innefattas i. Resultatet har blivit att en stor del av hennes viktigaste verk kan införlivas i konstriktningen den nya sakligheten. Ännu en frågeställning har gällt vilken position Stina Forssell har, och har haft, i svensk konsthistoria, och varför hon blivit bortglömd. Var hon ännu en av dessa kvinnliga konstnärer som borde förtjänat en mer framskjuten position? Är det på tiden att hon placeras jämsides med till exempel Arvid Fougstedt inom den nya sakligheten? / This essay is about the life and artistry of the artist Stina Forssell (1906-1970). As she has been relatively unknown, a biographical accpount of her life from growing up in Uddevalla and continued life and activities in Stockholm is given. The facts have mainly been gathered through interviews of children and grandchildren of friends and relatives. Her artistry is depicted through the description and interpretation og her main subject imageswhich consisted of prtraits, interiors, still lifes and landscapes. Interpretations take place through formal analyses and contextual analyses. Furthermore it is studied in what way Forssell´s personality, and the art and social context influenced her artistry and how her artistry was valued from a gender perspective.    In addition to being a biographical and art study, one of the most important purposes of the essay has been to analyse the art style of Forssell´s art. The result has been that a large part of her most important works can be incorporated into the art direction of the new objectivity. Another important question concerns what position Stina Forssell has in Swedish art history, and why she has been forgotten. Was she yet another one of those woman artists who deserved a more prominent position? Is it about time that she should be placed alongside, for example, Arvid Fougstedt in the art style of the new objectivity?

Hannes Beckmann (1909-1977). Dessau - Prague - New York This PhD thesis is dedicated to an exceptional, though still forgotten personality, an artist of German descent, Hannes Beckmann |1909-1977|. A graduate of Germany's Bauhaus, he was one of the refugees fleeing Nazism to Czechoslovakia, and among many other achievements, he later became the director of the photography department of the Guggenheim Museum in New York. Through his work, he fulfilled avant-garde ideas on the synthesis of artistic fields: he was a painter, stage designer, art theorist and pedagogue, but also a creator of abstract objects moving along the boundaries of minimalistic and kinetic constructions. His fate in life and created body of work began gaining a clearer form in the framework of research on visual artists, who found sanctuary in interwar Czechoslovakia from demagogic political systems. Until that time, Hannes Beckmann had been utterly unknown to Czech art history and elsewhere. This is seen in the absence of his name in Czech technical literature, but also because he was never mentioned even in publications published by the Bauhaus with which he had been involved for some time. There was only sketchy information on his pedagogical and artistic work in the area of Op-Art (optical art) from the 1960s to 1970s in the United...