In this course, we will explore the various types of aesthetic modernisms in France, covering roughly the fin de si?cle through the Fourth Republic (which ended in 1958). Rather than moving by genre of Western art music (opera, ballet, and so forth) we will group our study under larger cultural topics (technologies, spectacles, leisure). Underpinning our historical study of France during this period is an interrogation of the term "modernism" itself. This course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Aesthetic Exploration, Historical Consciousness, Writing-Intensive Course.