What will I learn about: why early twentieth-century America was fiercely hostile toward modern art, viewing the works of Picasso and Matisse as threats to society rather than strokes of genius?

Understand why early twentieth-century America was fiercely hostile toward modern art, viewing the works of Picasso and Matisse as threats to society rather than strokes of genius.

What will I learn about: how successful lawyer John Quinn became a pivotal cultural conduit, using his wealth and influence to champion cutting-edge European art in a reluctant United States?

Discover how successful lawyer John Quinn became a pivotal cultural conduit, using his wealth and influence to champion cutting-edge European art in a reluctant United States.

What will I learn about: Learn the true story behind the infamous 1913 Armory Show, an exhibition that introduced radical modern art to America but was initially met with intense public scorn and political backlash?

Learn the true story behind the infamous 1913 Armory Show, an exhibition that introduced radical modern art to America but was initially met with intense public scorn and political backlash.

What will I learn about: how the successful lobbying to repeal prohibitive import taxes on foreign art finally broke the barrier that had kept the American art scene 50 years behind Europe?

Find out how the successful lobbying to repeal prohibitive import taxes on foreign art finally broke the barrier that had kept the American art scene 50 years behind Europe.

What will I learn about: Explore the foundational partnership between Pablo Picasso and ambitious art dealer Daniel-Henry Kahnweiler, who built a market for Cubism by letting the genius of the work speak for itself?

Explore the foundational partnership between Pablo Picasso and ambitious art dealer Daniel-Henry Kahnweiler, who built a market for Cubism by letting the genius of the work speak for itself.

Picasso's War

How Modern Art Came to America

Hugh Eakin

★ 4.7 / 5(200 ratings)

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Society & Culture History

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You should listen to this audiobook

💡Did you know that some of the world’s most celebrated modern masterpieces were once denounced in America as "degenerate art" and a threat to society?
💡Have you ever wondered how a small, determined group of individuals single-handedly turned a hostile United States into the ultimate global haven for progressive artists?
💡Are you curious about the hidden battle fought behind the scenes to convince a skeptical American public that Pablo Picasso was a genius rather than a fraud?

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Key Takeaways from Picasso's War

✓Understand why early twentieth-century America was fiercely hostile toward modern art, viewing the works of Picasso and Matisse as threats to society rather than strokes of genius.
✓Discover how successful lawyer John Quinn became a pivotal cultural conduit, using his wealth and influence to champion cutting-edge European art in a reluctant United States.
✓Learn the true story behind the infamous 1913 Armory Show, an exhibition that introduced radical modern art to America but was initially met with intense public scorn and political backlash.
✓Find out how the successful lobbying to repeal prohibitive import taxes on foreign art finally broke the barrier that had kept the American art scene 50 years behind Europe.
✓Explore the foundational partnership between Pablo Picasso and ambitious art dealer Daniel-Henry Kahnweiler, who built a market for Cubism by letting the genius of the work speak for itself.

Learning Tools

Reinforce what you learned from Picasso's War

Mind Map

Picasso's War

Early American Hostility+

John Quinn's Crusade+

The European Dealers+

Birth of MoMA+

The Tide Turns+

Picasso Conquers America+

Quiz — Test Your Understanding

Question 1 of 8

How did the American public and press primarily react to modern art in the early twentieth century?

A. With enthusiastic embrace of its progressive ideals and new techniques.
B. With mild curiosity, preferring American modernists over European ones.
C. With hostility and hysteria, viewing it as the dangerous output of deranged minds.
D. With confusion but financial support, buying it quickly as speculative investments.

Question 2 of 8

What significant legal obstacle did John Quinn successfully lobby to remove in 1913 to help modernize the American art scene?

A. Prohibitive import taxes on foreign art that had been created in the past 20 years.
B. A federal ban on exhibiting nude figures in public galleries and museums.
C. Zoning laws that prevented commercial art galleries from operating in residential New York.
D. A mandate that required museums to allocate 80% of their budgets to American-made artworks.

Question 3 of 8

Despite nostalgic narratives claiming the 1913 Armory Show was a triumphant success, what was the actual general consensus at the time?

A. It was largely ignored by the press and public due to a lack of advertising.
B. It was praised by politicians but boycotted by conservative art critics.
C. It was considered a financial triumph but failed to attract everyday citizens.
D. It was met with laughter, scorn, and accusations of being a 'lunatic fringe' movement.

Question 4 of 8

How did the outbreak of the First World War alter Pablo Picasso's representation in the art market?

A. Picasso was drafted into the military, forcing him to abandon his exclusive contract with Paul Rosenberg.
B. His dealer, Daniel-Henry Kahnweiler, had his assets frozen and auctioned off, leading Picasso to sign with Paul Rosenberg.
C. Sergei Shchukin relocated to Paris and became Picasso's exclusive private dealer to avoid wartime taxes.
D. Paul Rosenberg was forced to flee to Germany, leaving Picasso to self-promote his work in America.

Question 5 of 8

What motivated Lillie P. Bliss, Abby Aldrich Rockefeller, and Mary Sullivan to establish the Museum of Modern Art in 1929?

A. They were dismayed that John Quinn's massive modern art collection was dispersed at auction because no US museum would take it.
B. They wanted to create a rival institution to the Metropolitan Museum of Art to exclusively showcase their own personal works.
C. They received a massive grant from the US government to promote American modernist painters over European ones.
D. They wanted a dedicated space to house the newly discovered works of post-Impressionists like Van Gogh and Cézanne.

Question 6 of 8

As the first director of the Museum of Modern Art, how did Alfred Barr revolutionize the way art was exhibited?

A. He grouped paintings by color and size rather than by artist or historical period.
B. He displayed works in the traditional European 'salon style' to give the museum classical legitimacy.
C. He hung paintings spaced apart at eye level on white walls and provided explanatory wall texts.
D. He removed all written descriptions to force viewers to interpret the art entirely on their own.

Question 7 of 8

Why was Alfred Barr so determined to host a comprehensive exhibition of Pablo Picasso's work?

A. He believed Picasso's work was the only modern art that wealthy American collectors were willing to buy.
B. He saw Picasso as the 'Rosetta Stone' of modern art whose stylistic evolution could help the public understand the entire movement.
C. He wanted to prove to European critics that American museums could afford the world's most expensive paintings.
D. He had a personal rivalry with Paul Rosenberg and wanted to force him to relinquish control of Picasso's estate.

Question 8 of 8

What ultimately convinced art dealer Paul Rosenberg to send a massive collection of Picasso's work to America for the 1939 exhibition?

A. John Quinn left a massive financial endowment specifically meant to purchase Rosenberg's entire collection.
B. The US government offered Rosenberg diplomatic immunity and a permanent visa in exchange for the artwork.
C. The outbreak of World War II made sending the art to Barr's museum in America a practical way to keep it safe from the conflict.
D. Picasso personally demanded the transfer after reading about the immense success of Alfred Barr's Van Gogh exhibition.

Picasso's War — Full Chapter Overview

1Recommendation
2A First Look
3Protests and Tariffs
4Working with Picasso
5Premature Endings
6Modern Art Takes Its Victory Lap

Picasso's War Summary & Overview

Picasso’s War (2022) reveals the fascinating story behind America’s rocky relationship with modern art. It shows how a small group of individuals were able to overcome ridicule and accusations of “degenerate art” in order to turn the country into a haven for the world’s most progressive artists.

Who Should Listen to Picasso's War?

History buffs
Fans of Pablo Picasso and modern art

About the Author: Hugh Eakin

Hugh Eakin has been a regular contributor to the New York Review of Books, and is senior editor at Foreign Affairs. He’s written extensively about art and museums for such publications as the New Yorker and Vanity Fair.

Picasso's War

If You're Curious About These Questions...

Listen to Picasso's War — Free Audiobook

Key Takeaways from Picasso's War

Learning Tools

Mind Map

Quiz — Test Your Understanding

Picasso's War — Full Chapter Overview

Picasso's War Summary & Overview

Who Should Listen to Picasso's War?

About the Author: Hugh Eakin

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