Visions of the 'Neue Frau'

The emergence of the 'Neue Frau' (New Woman) in Germany after the first World War was symptomatic of the social, political, economic and cultural upheavals of the Weimar Republic. In these changing times, new opportunities for women were often pitted against retrenched, traditional gender roles. Visions of the Neue Frau explores the rich contribution made by women in the period to the visual arts. It examines the role of women as producers and patrons of art while also considering the problematic area of woman as subject and object in representation. The book ranges widely across both high and popular culture including fine art, film, performance and mass media. Contributions represent a wide range of viewpoints, from social history to psychoanalysis, and from political theory to postmodernism. Together they provide critical debate on the relationship between gender construction, social history and visual representation in the Weimar Republic.