Figures like Salomé , the Sphinx, and the Medusa became central motifs, representing both a fascination with and a fear of shifting gender relations at the turn of the century. Key Figures Explored

The text connects Freudian theories—such as the death drive , hysteria, and sexual identity—to the artistic phenomena of the late 19th century.

Sigmund Freud , whose emerging theories mirror the era's preoccupation with hidden urges and the subconscious.

Bernheimer rereads several major thinkers and artists to rediscover the "dynamics of the decadent":

Artists and their audiences often felt estranged from society, mocking traditional moral rules and embracing sensualism and morbidity to scandalize the "bourgeois" middle class.

Decadent Subjects: The Idea Of Decadence In Art... Page

Figures like Salomé , the Sphinx, and the Medusa became central motifs, representing both a fascination with and a fear of shifting gender relations at the turn of the century. Key Figures Explored

The text connects Freudian theories—such as the death drive , hysteria, and sexual identity—to the artistic phenomena of the late 19th century. Decadent Subjects: The Idea of Decadence in Art...

Sigmund Freud , whose emerging theories mirror the era's preoccupation with hidden urges and the subconscious. Figures like Salomé , the Sphinx, and the

Bernheimer rereads several major thinkers and artists to rediscover the "dynamics of the decadent": Figures like Salomé

Artists and their audiences often felt estranged from society, mocking traditional moral rules and embracing sensualism and morbidity to scandalize the "bourgeois" middle class.