European Avant-Gardes

The avant-garde art movement cannot be defined to one specific group of artists, but instead encompasses artworks and artists that challenge societal or cultural norms in experimental and radical ways. Avant-garde artists create innovative works that play with new kinds of imagery, forms and other elements of visual language. 

The beginning of the European avant-garde can be traced back to the mid-19th century, to socialist artist Gustave Courbet whose realist painting style rejected the academic tradition and Romantic art of his time. Being introduced from around this period onwards, the various movements of modern art are all considered as being part of the avant-garde, such as Dada, Cubism, Futurism and Surrealism. These movements are considered avant-garde due to a combination of their innovations in terms of form and visual language, and their alignment with a political party. 

Although it often refers to artworks produced during the second half of the 19th and early 20th centuries, the term “avant-garde" is also used to talk about art being produced today. It refers to any artworks and artists that push the boundaries of art in creative and radical ways. Find Artsper's selection of avant-garde artists working in a variety of mediums and styles, including Javier Rey and Charlotte Abramow.