Are “National” Artists a Thing of the Past?

Say “nationalism,” and most minds immediately think “war.” Word association games aside, nationalism comes in all shapes and sizes, but the most dangerous form historically has led to armed conflict and borders shifting in blood. Embodiments of nationalist fervor always feel like the first symptoms of full-force nationalism. Are “national” artists a thing of the past? Or are they making a comeback? A major exhibition of the art of German artist Albrecht Dürer (whose Self-Portrait from 1500 appears above), whom many consider the “national” artist of Germany, raises the question of whether such a figure can exist in the 21^st century and what it might mean if it could. Please come over to Picture This at Big Think to read more of "Are 'National' Artists a Thing of the Past?"

[Image: Albrecht Dürer. Self-Portrait (detail), 1500.]