Contemporary Period
National decline began to set in around 1900, and English artists
have spent the 20th century in a well-meaning attempt to catch up
with international developments. They have adopted one by one the
"isms" of the modem movement, beginning with Impressionism,
but always a few years behind and always in a diluted form. Among
modern artists, however, the two dominant characteristics of English
art — the romantic tradition and the emphasis on line — may be
seen in the sculpture of Henry Moore and the painting of Francis
Bacon, David Hockney, and Graham Sutherland. Coventry Cathedral by
Sir Basil Spence was disliked by many critics but has found favour
with the public. Of the work of contemporary British architects, that
of James Frazer Stirling has perhaps been the most influential.