Post-War European Art

A general category for European artists working in the period following World War II (roughly 1945-70). Though necessarily broad, in general this group of artists attempted to re-establish identity and cope with the trauma of the war, the onset of the Cold War, and the shift in the art world center from New York to Paris. The period saw a multitude of movements appear across the continent—including Tachisme, Art Informel, Nouveau Réalisme, Fluxus, and Arte Povera—both originating in Europe and informed by international developments, particularly in the United States and Japan. Some of the countless major artists to emerge included Jean Dubuffet, Alberto Giacometti, and Francis Bacon.