The Warsaw Group Rytm (1922-32) and Modernist Classicism

This book is the first monograph in English dedicated to the influential Polish art group Rytm. It meticulously reconstructs the history of this often-overlooked interwar collective and offers fresh insights into the ongoing conversations surrounding new classicism in Europe. The work provides a critical examination of both recent and early 20th-century analyses related to modernism and classicism, drawing on the thoughts of figures like Maurice Denis and Henri Bergson. It reevaluates key ideas such as decorativeness, style, and rhythm while raising significant questions about the broader historiographical narratives of the 1920s in Europe.Christina Lodder, an Honorary Professor of Art History at the University of Kent and Honorary Fellow at the University of York, highlights the book's important role in redefining the modernist canon by reintroducing Rytm. Lodder acknowledges its contribution to the debates on 'modernist classicism' in European art. Meanwhile, Klara Kemp-Welch, a Reader in 20th Century Modernism at The Courtauld Institute of Art, acknowledges Sears' work as part of a broader scholarly trend that shifts focus from solely avant-garde to include more traditionally aesthetic developments in Eastern European art. The author, Małgorzata Sears, is an accomplished art historian and artist based in London, with educational roots in Poland and the United Kingdom. Her academic journey includes studying fine art in Falmouth and art history at the Courtauld Institute of Art in London, where she earned her doctorate and served as a Visiting Lecturer. Sears specializes in Polish interwar art with a broader passion for European modernism, particularly its connections to classical themes.