European Art (Medieval Period to World War I) Major Periods in Western Art History Prehistoric Art (-40,000 – 4,000 BC)
The earliest artifacts come from the Paleolithic era, or the
Old Stone Age, in the form of rock carvings, engravings, pictorial imagery, sculptures, and stone arrangements.
Art from this period relied on the use of natural pigments
and stone carvings to create representations of objects, animals, and rituals that governed a civilization’s existence.
One of the most famous examples is that of the
Paleolithic cave paintings found in the complex caves of Lascaux in France. Though discovered in 1940, they were estimated to be up to 20,000 years old and depict large animals and vegetation from the area (https://bit.ly/3bLkOHs). Lascaux Cave Painting Egyptian Art (3,000 BC – 395 AD)
Egyptian art was originally created for religious and
magical purposes. Its symbols and functions show the Egyptians’ beliefs about their world and the promise of an afterlife. Statues placed in tombs and temples served as physical repositories for the spirit and were to receive offerings and prayers. There were many images of kings making offerings to the gods and defeating Egypt’s enemies. The Egyptians believed that these images helped make these triumphs come true (https://bit.ly/3yrcPsN). Egyptian art ranges from delicate jewelry and grave goods to monumental sculpture of the pharaohs. The human form is often shown in rigid frontal poses. The artists used overlapping perspective and richly colored patterns. Even over thousands of years, basic forms and symbols remained constant (https://bit.ly/3yrcPsN). Great Pyramids of Giza Ancient Greece (510-323 BC)
The Greeks have been described as idealistic, imaginative
and spiritual. The Greeks produced the Olympics.
Greece reached its zenith during the Golden Age of
Athens (457 B.C. to 430 B.C.) when great temples were built in Athens and Olympia, and they were decorated with wonderful sculptures and reliefs. Hellenistic arts imitated life realistically, especially in sculpture and literature. The Parthenon It is a temple dedicated to Goddess Athena in Greek religion, the city protectress, goddess of war, handicraft, and practical reason. Greece had three classical orders of columns: Ancient Rome (509 B.C.E. – 330 C.E)
Roman art includes architecture, painting, sculpture and
mosaic work. Luxury objects in metal-work, gem engraving, ivory carvings and glass are sometimes considered in, modern terms, to be minor forms of Roman art, although this would not necessarily have been the case for contemporaries. Stylistic eclecticism and practical application are the hallmarks of much Roman art (https://bit.ly/3hLUtfW). Trevi TreviFountain Fountain Medieval Art (500–1400 AD)
The Middle Ages, often referred to as the “Dark Ages,”
marked a period of economic and cultural deterioration following the fall of the Roman Empire in 476 A.D.
Much of the artwork produced in the early years of the
period reflected that darkness, characterized by grotesque imagery and brutal scenery. Art produced during this time was centered around the Church.
As the first millennium passed, more sophisticated and
elaborately decorated churches emerged; windows and silhouettes were adorned with Biblical subjects and scenes from classical mythology. Mosaic of Jesus Christ in Istanbul, Turkey. Antakya Hotel Mosaic, Istanbul, Turkey. Thirteen different civilizations are believed to have contributed to the mosaic. This began around the time the Greeks were ruling Antioch, about 300 years before the birth of Christ.
Contributions to the mosaic came from cultures as
the Greeks, Romans, Byzantines, Arabs, Crusaders, and Egyptians. The piece was in progress for more than fifteen centuries, from around 300 BCE until the 1200s CE. Antiochia, Hatay Province, Turkey was a Hellenistic Greek city founded in 300 BC by one of Alexander the Great’s generals, Seleucus I Nicator, and became the capital of the so-called Seleucid Empire.
It was then taken over by Rome, at its own request,
in 64 BC and became the seat of the governor. ‘Golden Antiochia’ was a favorite with the emperors, who beautified it in an attempt to make it an eastern Rome.
It also later became a regional capital to Byzantine
Empire, now Istanbul Turkey. Renaissance Art (1400–1600 BC)
The Renaissance reached its
height in Florence, Italy, due in large part to the Medici, a wealthy merchant family who adamantly supported the arts and humanism, a variety of beliefs and philosophies that places emphasis on the human realm.
Lorenzo de Medici supported Lorenzo
the work of Leonardo da Vinci and de Medici Michelangelo. Leonardo da Vinci
Mona Lisa (1503-1519) Michelangelo Pieta Artwork throughout the Renaissance was characterized by realism, attention to detail, and precise study of human anatomy. Artists used linear perspective and created depth through intense lighting and shading. Renaissance Humanism was an intellectual movement which focused not on religion but on what it is to be human. There was an emphasis on the individual.
The Renaissance also saw the invention of art
techniques like fresco and oil painting. These new techniques were directly influenced by the humanist focus on earthy details and realism, as well as a need for artists to develop their own ideas of how things should look.
Fresco is a mural painting technique that involves
painting with water-based paint directly onto wet plaster so that the paint becomes an integral part of the plaster. The Last Supper is a mural painting that measures 460 cm × 880 cm (180 in × 350 in) and covers an end wall of the dining hall at the monastery of Santa Maria delle Grazie in Milan, Italy. It measures 180 in × 350 in and covers an end wall of the dining hall at the monastery of Santa Maria delle Grazie in Milan, Italy.
The Last Supper by Leonardo da Vinci
The ceiling of the Sistine Chapel covered in frescoes painted by Michelangelo from 1508-1512 Oil Painting
It is a painting method involving the procedure of
painting with pigments with a medium of drying oil as the binder.
Mannerism (1527–1580 BC)
Mannerist artists emerged from the ideals of
Michelangelo, Raphael, and other Late Renaissance artists, but their focus on style and technique outweighed the meaning of the subject matter. Often, figures had graceful, elongated limbs, small heads, stylized features and exaggerated details. Mannerist artists include Giorgio Vasari, Francesco Salviati, Domenico Beccafumi, and Bronzino, etc. (https://bit.ly/3bLkOHs). Self-Portrait in a Convex Mirror by Parmigianino Baroque (1600–1750 BC) The term Baroque, derived from the Portuguese 'barocco' meaning 'irregular pearl or stone', refers to a cultural and art movement that characterized Europe from the early seventeenth to mid-eighteenth century. Baroque emphasizes dramatic, exaggerated motion and clear, easily interpreted, detail. It yielded ornate, over-the- top visual arts and architecture. It was characterized by grandeur and richness, punctuated by an interest in broadening human intellect and global discovery. Baroque artists were stylistically complex. Baroque paintings were characterized by drama, as seen in the iconic works of Italian painter Caravaggio and Dutch painter Rembrandt. Painters used an intense contrast between light and dark (chiaroscuro) and had energetic compositions matched by rich color palettes (https://bit.ly/3bLkOHs). Rococo (1699–1780 BC) Rococo originated in Paris, encompassing decorative art, painting, architecture, and sculpture. The aesthetic offered a softer style of decorative art compared to Baroque’s exuberance. Rococo is characterized by lightness and elegance, focusing on the use of natural forms, asymmetrical design, and subtle colors. It is a flamboyant yet light-hearted form of art often characterized by whites and pastel colors, gilding, and curvaceous lines. It typically depicts scenes of youth, love, and nature, and elicits motion and drama. The Rococo style also easily translated to silver, porcelain, and French furniture. Many chairs and armoires featured curving forms, floral designs, and an expressive use of gilt (https://bit.ly/3bLkOHs). Neoclassicism (1750–1850 BC)
As its name suggests, the Neoclassical period drew
upon elements from classical antiquity. Archaeological ruins of ancient civilizations in Athens and Naples that were discovered at the time reignited a passion for all things past, and artists strove to recreate the great works of ancient art. This translated to a renewed interest in classical ideals of harmony, simplicity, and proportion. Neoclassical artists were influenced by classical elements; in particular, a focus on idealism. Inevitably, they also included modern, historically relevant depictions in their works (https://bit.ly/3bLkOHs). Claude Lorrain painted landscapes, using naturalistic detail and the observation of light and its effects, with figures from mythological or Biblical scenes, as seen in his A landscape with Apollo guarding the herds of Admetus and Mercury stealing them (1645). An effect of orderly harmony was conveyed in many of his works, which appealed to Neoclassicism's belief that art should express the ideal virtues (i.e., simplicity, austerity, heroism, and stoic virtues). Romanticism (1780–1850 BC) Romanticism embodies a broad range of disciplines, from painting to music to literature. The ideals present in each of these art forms reject order, harmony, and rationality, which were embraced in both classical art and Neoclassicism. Instead, Romantic artists emphasized the individual and imagination. Another defining Romantic ideal was an appreciation for nature, with many turning to plein air painting, which brought artists out of dark interiors and enabled them to paint outside. Artists also focused on passion, emotion, and sensation over intellect and reason. Liberty Leading the People (1830) By Eugene Delacroix
