Cover of Mammonart: An essay in economic interpretation by Upton Sinclair Ebook Mammonart: An essay in economic interpretation
Ebook · Sovereign

Mammonart: An essay in economic interpretation

Author
Upton Sinclair
Language
English
Length
452 pages
ISBN
9781802568080
Published
17 August 2025
Imprint
Sovereign
  • art and economics
  • social criticism
  • cultural theory
  • class struggle
  • capitalism and art
  • artistic freedom
  • patronage
  • literature and society
  • political art
  • economic determinism

Description

Mammonart: An Essay in Economic Interpretation by Upton Sinclair examines the influence of economic forces on art and creativity throughout history. Sinclair argues that art is not created in a vacuum but shaped by class, wealth, and patronage, often serving the interests of the powerful. From ancient civilizations to modern times, he analyzes writers, painters, and musicians, revealing how financial dependence on the elite suppresses radical or truthful expression. Advocating for art that serves the people and promotes social justice, Sinclair challenges the myth of artistic independence. Blending sharp critique with historical insight, Mammonart is a provocative call for economically conscious art and a radical rethinking of culture in capitalist society.

Author

Upton Sinclair (1878–1968) wrote The Jungle and a long shelf of muckraking novels in which industry is the villain. The Chicago stockyards novel was meant to convert readers to socialism; it converted them to food reform instead — and still stands as American protest fiction at documentary heat. Sinclair kept going: oil, coal, journalism, politics, a career of books used as weapons.

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