1. The Belle Époque Cosmopolitan Culture in Late 19 th Century Europe

2. The Age of Progress The Late 19 th and Early 20 th Centuries marked the height of modern liberal European society. Rising standards of living and mass communications gave rise of leisure culture, greater demands by women and the oppressed, and an explosion in artistic expression. The new confidence of this period would be contrasted by the opposition to it.

3. The Women Question In the 1860s, women’s movements gained strength they had not had before. This reflected the power of women in the workplace and in the home. Three types of women's movements: Middle class-led, focusing on social issues. Focused on equal rights (laws and voting) Women’s trade unions (concerned with pay and working conditions)

4. The Women Question Working women still made up a large percentage of the workforce. Jobs were often determined by gender. Women were more prevalent in the service industries and textile factories than in heavy industrial production.

5. The Women Question Increasing education for women opened new opportunities. More women became secretaries, clerks, nurses, and teachers (occupations that became associated with their sex). Some moved into medicine and other professions. Significant clashes continued between feminists and chauvinists and Social Darwinists.

6. Popular Culture Mass culture continued to expand in scope as people (esp. middle class) had more leisure time. Entertainment became an important business as upper and middle class would attend opera or musicals while working class attended vaudeville or circuses. Holidays at beach resorts became popular for people of all classes.

7. Sports New “ball games” became popular, first at boys school, then spreading both for amateur players and for spectators. Games such as football (soccer), rugby, and cricket were popular team games played at schools and by working class people in the cities. For upper classes, golf, tennis, and polo became increasingly popular.

8. The Arts The late 19 th century was a time of rapid change and experimentation in the arts, with no one dominant style. Arts moved away from strict realism. The arts often reflected national character. Some moved to simpler styles, like the Pre- Raphaelites. This period marked the beginning of “modern” art styles with symbolism, impressionism, post-impressionism developing.

9. Arts – Pre-Raphaelites J.W. Waterhouse – The Lady of Shallot

10. The Arts - Impressionism Claude Monet – The Houses of Parliament

11. The Arts - Impressionism Claude Monet – The Waterlilies

12. The Arts - Impressionism Pierre-Auguste Renoir - Moulin de la Galette.

13. The Arts – Post Impressionism Vincent Van Gogh

14. The Arts - Post Impressionism Paul Gauguin

15. The Arts - Symbolism Edvard Munch – The Scream