In the early 20th century, economic growth gave many Americans the money to buy art for their homes for the first time. Sixty new museums opened. Slowly, Americans learned about serious art. In 1908, a group of New York arranged a historic show, trying to show real life in their paintings. Another group of modern artists led by the great photographer Alfred Stieglitz held a major art show in 1913. The show presented modern art from Europe. Americans got their first chance to see the work of such painters as Pablo Picasso and Georges Braque.
The show caused a huge public debate. Traditional art critics accused the organizers of the show of trying to overthrow Christianity and American values. Former president Theodore Roosevelt and others denounced the new art as a threat to the country. However, many young American painters and art lovers became very interested in the new art styles from Europe and studied them closely. They began to produce excellent art in the new Cubist style. The work of many of these serious modern painters only became popular many years later.
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