By Jutta Seibert

Scholars interested in modernism will be delighted to learn that they now have electronic access to The Routledge Encyclopedia of Modernism (REM) through Falvey Memorial Library. Modernism is an umbrella term for a hodgepodge of movements in literature and the arts, among them expressionism, dadaism, cubism, social realism, surrealism, futurism, and Bauhaus. Modernist thinking and ideas influenced architecture, dance, theater, film, literature, music, philosophy, and the visual arts from the late 19th century until the middle of the 20th century.

All the articles in the Encyclopedia are written by subject specialists and include recommended reading lists as well as cross-references to related content. For example, the article about Russian Modernism includes links to articles about representative Russian artists together with links to overview articles about Social Realism and Symbolism. A scholar looking up Entartete Kunst will find two overview articles on Modernism in Europe and Expressionism, five topical articles including one on Entartete Kunst, and three biographical articles on artists associated with the movement.

REM’s global interdisciplinary coverage is particularly noteworthy. Contents are indisputably skewed towards Europe, but there is a fair amount of global coverage. Articles about literature and the visual arts clearly dominate content about the other arts. REM’s landing page links out to popular and new content. Modernism in the Middle East and Arab World is currently featured as the most read article. If you would like to learn more about REM, take the online tour.

Related resources:

• Butler, Christopher. Modernism: A Very Short Introduction. Oxford University Press, 2010.
• Levenson, Michael H., ed. The Cambridge Companion to Modernism. 2nd ed. Cambridge, UK ; New York: Cambridge University Press, 2011.
• Marshik, Celia, ed. The Cambridge Companion to Modernist Culture. New York: Cambridge University Press, 2015.
• Wollaeger, Mark A., and Matt Eatough, eds. The Oxford Handbook of Global Modernisms. New York: Oxford University Press, 2012.

Jutta Seibert is Director of Research Services & Scholarly Engagement at Falvey Memorial Library.