Animal Modernities

Images, Objects, Histories

Daniel Harkett editor Katie Hornstein editor

Format:Paperback

Publisher:Leuven University Press

Publishing:16th Jun '25

£54.00

This title is due to be published on 16th June, and will be despatched as soon as possible.

Animal Modernities cover

Innovative study of animal art histories in modern art.

Animal Modernities challenges the traditional human-centered focus of art history and explores how modern art, visual culture, and modernity itself emerge from relationships between humans and animals. The essays in this volume reveal histories of exploitation and domination, as well as confusion and ambivalence, and occasional moments when affinities between humans and animals have been embraced, and animal agency asserted and acknowledged. The authors collectively point to the importance of thinking about animal–human relations for addressing today’s ecological challenges.

This book will be made open access within three years of publication thanks to Path to Open, a program developed in partnership between JSTOR, the American Council of Learned Societies (ACLS), University of Michigan Press, and The University of North Carolina Press to bring about equitable access and impact for the entire scholarly community, including authors, researchers, libraries, and university presses around the world. Learn more at https://about.jstor.org/path-to-open/

“The volume is a valuable addition to the growing literature on artistic representations of human-animal relations, enriching scholarly discussions on both historical and contemporary interactions with animals and nature.” - Roni Grén, University of Turku


"Animal Modernities represents a much-needed addition and expansion to the history of art as well as to animal studies. The edited volume is a real eye-opener to how fundamental animals were for modern art. The authors challenge human exceptionalism by focusing on animals as singular personalities and on their agency. They offer either an innovative reading of old material, present material that is new to art historical discourse or develop innovative insights including an animal viewpoint. By doing so, they dismantle the structural violence in artefacts as well as art historical theories." - Jessical Ullrich, University of Fine Arts Münster

ISBN: 9789462704589

Dimensions: unknown

Weight: 454g

320 pages