This course will review the various cultural and literary French movements from the second half of the nineteenth century and during the twentieth century. The course introduces aesthetic currents which have influenced French cultural atmosphere, arts and literature, from the 19th century to our times. We shall discuss the main concepts and ideologies of those movements, as well as their historical, aesthetic and cultural background. Diverse aesthetic techniques will be examined and demonstrated as characterizing each movement, taken from works of arts such as poetry, prose, paintings and movies.