In 19th-century Europe, however, modernity and its connection with art had certain specific associations that people began recognizing and using as barometers to distinguish themselves and their culture from earlier moments in history.
Chronologically, the modern era is often defined as the period from roughly to In Europe and North America, it can be said to begin with the Realist movement and end with Abstract Expressionism though some scholars date the modern era back to the late 18th century. During that period, Europe experienced significant changes that transformed it from an agriculturally-based society into a modern one with cities and factories and mass transportation.
In the 19th century, wealth produced by mass-manufacturing and the exchange of goods capitalism competed with aristocratic wealth based on large land holdings. Capitalism became the economic system of the modern era in which people exchanged their labor for a fixed wage.
This economic change dramatically affected class relations because it offered opportunities for the accumulation of great wealth through individual initiative, industrialization, and technology somewhat like the technological and dot. The Industrial Revolution , which began in England in the late 18th century and rapidly swept across Europe, radically transformed economic and social relationships, putting many artisans out of work, and offered an ever-increasing number of cheap consumer goods.
These consumer goods were largely produced by factory workers including children at a time when there were few protections for workers. The Industrial Revolution also fostered a sense of competition and a sense of progress some real, some illusory that continues to influence us today.
