However, several figures are often credited as key contributors and pioneers of Modernism:
* Charles Baudelaire: His poetry explored the dark underbelly of modern life and challenged traditional notions of beauty, paving the way for the exploration of the subconscious and individual experience.
* Friedrich Nietzsche: His philosophical ideas about the death of God, the will to power, and the rejection of traditional morality had a profound influence on modernist writers.
* Fyodor Dostoevsky: His novels delved into the depths of human psychology, questioning traditional morality and exploring themes of alienation and existentialism.
* Gustave Flaubert: He revolutionized the novel with his focus on precise language, psychological realism, and the exploration of themes of boredom and meaninglessness.
* William Butler Yeats: His poetry explored the Irish identity and the relationship between art and spirituality, contributing to the development of Modernist aesthetics.
While these figures are prominent, many other writers, artists, and thinkers played a role in the development of Modernism. Instead of a single "father," Modernism emerged as a collective movement, influenced by various individuals and intellectual currents.