OLLI-00244 - France During WWII: Artistic Panorama (Wednesday)

The devastating experience of WWII in France brought destruction, misery and death to many people, but it also inspired artists of all political and aesthetic persuasions to reveal their inner, and often disturbing, inspiration. This course examines various art forms, beginning with totalitarian art, including anti-Semitic, Nazi, and Pétainiste works. Participants will then analyze the paintings of Picasso, Matisse, and other visual masters, before moving to explore popular and classical music by Édith Piaf, Maurice Chevalier, Charles Trénet, Francis Poulenc, and Arthur Honegger. The course will also examine ballet performances by Serge Lifar and the Paris Opera dancers. The course also includes sessions on poetry and French cinema, focusing on Marcel Carné’s Children of Paradise and Marcel Pagnol’s The Well-Digger’s Daughter.