Culture & Consensus: England, Art and Politics Since 1940 by Robert Hewison

Art, identity and power in postwar England

Fair Condition – visible cover scuffing with light edge and corner wear.

In Culture & Consensus, cultural historian Robert Hewison traces the shifting relationship between art, politics and national identity in England from the Second World War onward. Moving through the institutions, debates and public symbols that shaped the postwar decades, he examines how governments, cultural organisations and artists negotiated competing ideas of Englishness. Architecture, landscape, heritage and the arts become arenas in which questions of authority, belonging and social change are played out. Hewison considers both official policy and dissenting cultural movements, revealing how the search for consensus can preserve traditions while also narrowing the space for challenge. Rich in historical context and critical insight, this is a thoughtful study of culture’s place in modern public life.