ABSTRACT
Writing a global history of Modernism is one of the greatest challenges faced by historians of modern and contemporary art, but focusing on the 'global' aspect of the history is not a popular pursuit. The geopolitical approach not only provides a foundation for a circulatory and inclusive, not to say global, history of modern art, but it also throws a new light on the very objects of modernist stories, namely the avant-gardes, the artists, their artworks, and innovations. Maps, charts, and chronologies tell a different story of modern art story that highlights the importance of the so-called peripheries and in particular the importance of German artists, writers, dealers, and collectors, hence the title of this chapter. The Groupe des Vingt, for instance, founded in Brussels in 1883, was an essential platform for the internationalization of Postimpressionism, Symbolism, and decorative arts coming from France, as well as those coming from Britain, Austria, or Germany.
