Uploaded December 2025 | Updated September 2026, 6 hours ago
The last decade of the 19th century in Europe saw an explosion of evocative and disturbing works of art, reflecting a cultural cynicism felt around rapid industrialization, a perceived moral decline, and the rural flight to urban centers.
These anxieties inspired Symbolist artists to draw on a dark and mysterious vocabulary of demons, skeletons, femmes fatales, and the visual manifestation of inner dreams and nightmares. "Strange Realities: The Symbolist Imagination" explores this cultural landscape from many perspectives and geographies, including France, Belgium, Norway, and Germany. Hear from curator Jay A. Clarke for insights into these psychologically intense and relevant works.
Support for this program is provided by the Allan McNab Endowed Fund.
The last decade of the 19th century in Europe saw an explosion of evocative and disturbing works of art, reflecting a cultural cynicism felt around rapid industrialization, a perceived moral decline, and the rural flight to urban centers.
These anxieties inspired Symbolist artists to draw on a dark and mysterious vocabulary of demons, skeletons, femmes fatales, and the visual manifestation of inner dreams and nightmares. "Strange Realities: The Symbolist Imagination" explores this cultural landscape from many perspectives and geographies, including France, Belgium, Norway, and Germany. Hear from curator Jay A. Clarke for insights into these psychologically intense and relevant works.
Support for this program is provided by the Allan McNab Endowed Fund.
