Description
From his detailed analyses of three monumental works of art, Stefan Jonsson constructs an erudite and elegant meditation on the developments of modern European art and literature, out of which emerges, throughout the course of the book, an intriguing and illuminating view of the possibilities of revolution and democracy that remain for us today. -- Michael Hardt, coauthor of Empire and Multitude A Brief History of the Masses offers a surprisingly comprehensible and eloquent interdisciplinary discussion in three essays about what Stefan Jonsson defines as three revolutions: 1789, 1889, and 1989. He begins each section with a work of art and then demonstrates how that work reflects a sociological sea change, a revolution. Through the lenses of Jacques-Louis David, James Ensor, and Alfredo Jaar, Jonsson is able to raise some fundamental and fascinatingly problematic questions about the nature and future of democracy. A Brief History of the Masses is undoubtedly original, and it will most certainly cause some debate. -- Ross Shideler, professor of comparative literature and Scandinavian, University of California, Los Angeles Stefan Jonsson is one of the brightest creative minds of Europe today. I read him with flushed cheeks, impressed by his wide reading and analytical power, moved by his commitment and his courage. -- Sven Lindqvist, author of Desert Divers, Exterminate All the Brutes, and A History of Bombing
About the Author
Stefan Jonsson is a writer and critic based in Stockholm, Sweden. He is associate professor of ethnic studies at the University of Linkoping and has been a fellow at the Getty Research Institute in Los Angeles and visiting professor at the University of Michigan. He is the author of Subject Without Nation: Robert Musil and the History of Modern Identity.
Reviews
A compact yet comprehensive survey... Jonsson's globally wide-ranging and rich discussion raises important questions. Choice "From his detailed analyses of three monumental works of art, Stefan Jonsson constructs an erudite and elegant meditation on the developments of modern European art and literature, out of which emerges, throughout the course of the book, an intriguing and illuminating view of the possibilities of revolution and democracy that remain for us today. -- Michael Hardt
Book Information
ISBN 9780231145268
Author Stefan Jonsson
Format Hardback
Page Count 248
Imprint Columbia University Press
Publisher Columbia University Press