History
The influence of art history is a great resource for understanding the social changes reflected in early silent movie cinema.
Early cinema has quite a few overlapping influences:
The Art Nouveau era, 1890 -1914, only had a relatively short,
but intensive, heyday. Art historians have however recognized
Art Nouveau as an important link breaking away from the past
influence of Realism.
Both loved and hated, A. N. reflected scientific, literary, mystical, mythological, psychological, industrial & nationalistic changes. Fritz Lang's Metropolis, visionary in its scope and innovation, controversial in its treatment of political and romantic themes, is a monument of the silent era that cannot be overstated;