Representation of ‘modern’ life in French art of the nineteenth century (original) (raw)
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benefit to me, especially in the final stages-as were his careful and generous (re)readings of the text. Susan Siegfried and Michèle Hannoosh were also early mentors, first offering inspiring coursework and then, as committee members, advice and comments at key stages. Their feedback was such that I always wished I had solicited more, along with Michèle's tea. Josh Cole's seminar gave me a window not only into nineteenth-century France but also into the practice of history, and his kind yet rigorous comments on the dissertation are a model I hope to emulate. Betsy Sears has also been an important source of advice and encouragement. The research and writing of this dissertation was funded by fellowships and grants from the Georges Lurcy Foundation, the Rackham Graduate School at the University of Michigan, the Mellon Foundation, and the Getty Research Institute, as well as a Susan Lipschutz Award. My research was also made possible by the staffs at the Bibliothèque nationale de France, the Institut nationale d'Histoire de l'Art, the Getty Research Library, the Musée des arts décoratifs/Musée de la Publicité, and the Musée Maurice Denis, iii among other institutions. Special thanks go to a number of individuals who provided particular assistance. I would like to express my gratitude to the late Françoise Cachin for allowing me access to the Signac Archives and to Marina Ferretti-Bocquillon for devoting her time to those archival visits and to subsequent questions and requests, as well as to Charlotte Liébert Hellman for related permission requests. At the Musée Maurice Denis, Marie El Caïdi could not have been more welcoming and informative, while Fabienne Stahl, working nearby on the artist's catalogue raisonnée, has been generous both with information and images. Others I would like to thank for research assistance are Michèle Jasnin and Virginie Vignon at the Musée de la Publicité, Anne-Marie Sauvage at the BN's Département des estampes et de la photographie, as well as Laurence Camous and François-Bernard Michel. I would also like to take the opportunity to highlight three professional opportunities that played a particularly strong role in furthering my reflection, and the people who made those opportunities possible. New Directions in Neo-Impressionism, organized by Tania Woloshyn and Anthea Callen at Richmond, the American International University in London on November 20, 2010 led to an issue of the same name in RIHA Journal, edited by Woloshyn and Anne Dymond. Their feedback on my submission, along with that of Robyn Roslak was instrumental in shaping the core of chapter three (which also benefitted from editing by Regina Wenninger). Having welcomed my attendance at sessions of her graduate seminar, Ségolène Le Men kindly invited me to contribute to a stimulating Journée d'étude (Jules Chéret, un pionnier à la iv croisée de l'art décoratif et de l'affiche) at the Musée des Arts Décoratifs on October 20, 2010, she co-organized with Réjane Bargiel in conjunction with the museum's exhibition of the artist's work. This experience, as well as the exhibition itself and its catalog/catalogue raisonnée, helped me to define the argument(s) of chapter two. It also led to many fruitful discussions on posters and other subjects with Karen Carter. Chapter two has also benefitted from thinking and research prompted by my contribution to a forthcoming volume edited by Anca I.