Revolt in the Parlor: Escaping Victorian Taste
Opens October 13, 2026
Taking its title from Hugh F. McKean’s book, this exhibition traces the evolving currents of art and design from 1895 to 1959. It follows the cycles of experimentation, disruption, and reinvention that emerged as creators confronted—and helped shape—a dramatically changing world in reaction to the “fascinating clutter” of Victoria’s time.
At the turn of the twentieth century, a surge of optimism inspired artists and designers to rethink the visual language of modern life. Although the 1900 Paris Exposition was a spectacular achievement, it ultimately celebrated a world looking backward rather than forward. The fin de siècle sensibility—once defined by anxiety and decadence—shifted into a measured optimism as the new century began. The death of Queen Victoria in 1901 closed the longest reign in British history and symbolically marked the end of an era. The decades that followed brought profound challenges and transformations. Social and political tensions destabilized nations, class conflicts reshaped governments, and expanding global ambitions set the stage for territorial disputes and world war. Yet these same forces also fueled innovation. Artists responded to rapid change with bold new ideas, new materials, and new centers of creative activity. International networks strengthened as publications, world’s fairs, and increasingly accessible travel accelerated the spread of styles and information across continents.