Art, Industry, and Social Thought in Modern Belgium and Bohemia: John Ruskin's reception in Networks

• In Event: The Artist, the Scientist, and the Industrialist

Abstract

This paper analyses John Ruskin’s reception in turn-of-the-century Belgium and Bohemia, revealing that his critique of industrialisation and aesthetic theories circulated via complex networks of cultural mediators rather than through direct bilateral exchanges. By reinterpreting his work in light of emerging ideologies such as socialism, feminism, and symbolism, these mediators not only enriched the dialogue between literature, art, and industrial modernity but also challenged traditional nation-focused narratives of modernism.

Author

• Eve Filée, U libre de Bruxelles (Belgium)