"The period that scholars define as “modern” is inarguably complicated—but this makes it a rich and rewarding area to study. It is difficult to overstate how many important social and political changes occurred in this period, all of which had tangible effects on the art world in Western Europe and North America. There were a number of topics, ideas, theories, and events that artists between 1850 and 1940 addressed, many of which overlap..." - From How to Understand Modern Art Like an Art History
