At a time when modernism and Marxism are both under attack as outmoded, this detailed study of the years of their most creative interaction reminds us of the still potent energies unleashed by each. It guides us through the complicated debates generated by the struggle to define a viable Marxist aesthetics in the era of the avant-garde.

Explores the debate concerning realism and modernism in art and examines the efforts of four influential critics to develop Marxist theories of modern art.