- The work offers an insightful approach to the history and formation of modern Lebanon through studying how modern art requires citizens to confront how they define themselves. This innovative strategy will surely influence similar studies of other postcolonial nations. - Scholarship which seeks to understand power, hierarchy, and structure often tends to ignore art. This work addresses this deficiency through its clear exploration of the imaginative basis for self-expression, socialization, and political mobilization which is so fundamental to the construction of citizenship. - The work will appeal to scholars working on the historical, social, or political studies of Lebanon and the Middle East more generally. It will also appeal to scholars working on postcolonial studies, art history, gender studies, and anthropology.