Convinced that all aspects of modern culture have been affected by avant-garde art, Renato Poggioli explores the relationship between the avant-garde and civilization. Historical parallels and modern examples from all the arts are used to show how the avant-garde is both symptom and cause of many major extra-aesthetic trends of our time, and that the contemporary avant-garde is the sole and authentic one.

"There can be no doubt that this book is a classic." - British Journal of Aesthetics

"His rich background…ideally equipped him for the task of mapping the wilderness of avant-garde art and aesthetics. Indeed, Poggioli tackles his vast subject systemically, by integrating the aesthetic approach in a psychological, social, and historical range." - Comparative Literature Studies

"Poggioli’s study is a magnificent achievement. In both his topic and his manner of treatment, he has demonstrated that the criticism of art is indistinguishable from the criticism of life." - Journal of Aesthetics and Art Criticism