MODULE 2

ART APPRECIATION: CREATIVITY, IMAGINATION, AND EXPRESSION

 It takes an artist to make art. One may perceive beauty on a daily basis.
 However, not every beautiful thing that can be seen or experienced may truly be
called a work of art.
 Art is a product of man’s creativity, imagination, and expression.
 Not everyone can be considered an artist, but all are spectators of art.
 We are able to distinguish what is fine and beautiful from what is not and what is
good quality and from poor.
 This gives us a role in the field of art appreciation.
ART APPRECIATION AS A WAY OF LIFE
 “The role of art as a creative work is to depict the world in a completely different
light and perspective” – Jean-Paul Sartre
 Each artwork beholds beauty in its own kind, the kind that the artist sees and wants
the viewers to perceive.
 More often than not, people are blind to this beauty and only those who have
developed a fine sense of appreciation can experience and see the art the way the
artist did.
 Hence, refining one’s ability to appreciate arts allows him to deeply understand the
purpose of an artwork and recognize the beauty it possesses. (Collins & Riley, 1931).
 In cultivating an appreciation of art, one should also exercise and develop his taste for
things that are fine and beautiful.
 This allows individuals to make intelligent choices and decisions in acquiring
necessities and luxuries, knowing what gives better value for time or money while
taking into consideration the aesthetic and practical value.
 Learning to appreciate art no matter what vocation or profession you have, will lead
to a fuller and more meaningful life.
THE ROLE OF CREATIVITY IN ART MAKING
 Creativity requires thinking outside the box.
 In art, creativity is what sets apart one artwork from another.
 An artist embraces originality, puts his own flavor into his work, and calls it his own
creative piece.
When can we say that something is creative?
 When we have not seen anything like it
 When it is out of the ordinary
 When it is not just a copy or imitation of someone’s work
 …THERE IS ORIGINALITY!
ART AS A PRODUCT OF IMAGINATION, IMAGINATION AS A PRODUCT OF
ART
 “Imagination is more important than knowledge. For knowledge is limited to all we
now know and understand, while imagination embraces the entire world, and all there
ever will be to know and understand.” – Albert Einstein
 Imagination is not constrained by the walls of the norm, but goes beyond that.
 Through imagination, one is able to craft something bold, something new, and
something better in the hopes of creating something that will stimulate change.
 In artist’s mind sits a vast gallery of artworks
 An artwork does not need to be a real thing, but can be something that is imaginary
(Collingwood, 1938).
 However, something imaginary does not necessarily mean it cannot be called art.
Artists use their imagination that gives birth to reality through creation
 In the same way that imagination produces art, art also inspires imagination.
ART AS EXPRESSION
 “What an artist does to an emotion is not to induce it, but express it. Through
expression, he is able to explore his own emotions and at the same time, create
something beautiful out of them.”– Robin George Collingwood
 Expressing emotions is different from describing emotions.
 This makes people’s art not a reflection of what is outside or external to them, but a
reflection of their inner selves.
 Some forms of art expression include visual arts, lm, performance art, poetry
performance, architecture, dance, literary arts, theater arts, and applied arts.
VISUAL ARTS
 Creations that fall under this category are those that appeals to the sense of sight
and are mainly visual in nature.
 Artists produce visual arts driven by their desire to reproduce things that they have
seen in the way that they perceived them
 Creations that fall under this category are those that appeals to the sense of sight
and are mainly visual in nature.
 Artists produce visual arts driven by their desire to reproduce things that they have
seen in the way that they perceived them
FILM
 Film refers to the art of putting together successions of still images in order to create
an illusion of movement.
 Filmmaking focuses on its aesthetic, cultural, and social value and is considered both
an art and an industry.
 Techniques in film-making process:
 Motion-picture camera (also known as movie camera)
 Animation techniques
 Computer-generated imagery (CGI)
 Filmmaking simulates experiences or creates one that is beyond the scope of our
imagination as it aims to deliver ideas, feelings, or beauty to its viewers.
 Elements of filmmaking:
 Lighting
 Musical score
 Visual effects
 Direction and others
PERFORMANCE ART
 Performance art is a live art and the artist’s medium is mainly the human body which
he or she uses to perform, but also employs other kind of art such as visual art, props,
or sound.
 Elements of performance arts:
 Time where the performance took place
 The performer’s body
  Relationship between the audience and the performer(s)
 The fact that performance art is live makes it intangible, which means it cannot be
bought or traded as a commodity.
POETRY PERFORMANCE
 Poetry is an art form where the artist expresses his emotions not by using paint,
charcoal, or camera, but expresses them through words.
 These words are carefully selected to exhibit clarity and beauty and to stimulate
strong emotions of joy, anger, love, sorrow among others.
 It uses a word’s emotional, musical, and spatial values that go beyond its literal
meaning to narrate emphasize, argue, or convince.
 These words combined with movements, tone, volume, and intensity of the delivery
add to the artistic, value of the poem
ARCHITECTURE
 Art is the pursuit and creation of beautiful things while architecture is the making of
beautiful buildings.
 However, not all building is beautiful because some only embody the functionality
they need, but the structure, lines, forms, and colors are not beautifully expressed.
 Art is the pursuit and creation of beautiful things while architecture is the making of
beautiful buildings.
 However, not all building is beautiful because some only embody the functionality
they need, but the structure, lines, forms, and colors are not beautifully expressed.
 Important elements:
 Plan
 Construction
 Design
 Buildings should embody these three important elements if they wish to merit the title
architecture.
DANCE
 Dance is series of movements that follows the rhythm of the music accompaniment.
 Dancing is a creative art form that allows people to freely express themselves.
OIT HAS NO RULES.
  Choreography may seem not to allow this, but in art expression, dancers are not
confined to set steps and rules but are free to create and invent their own movements
as longs as they deem them graceful and beautiful.
LITERARY ART
 Artists who practice literary arts use words to express themselves and communicate
emotions to the readers.
 Simply becoming a writer does not make one a literary artist.
 Literary art goes beyond the usual professional, academic, journalistic and other
technical forms of writing.
 It focuses on writing using a unique style, not following a specific format or norm.
 It may include both fiction and non-fiction such as novels, biographies, and poems.
 Romeo and Juliet – William Shakespeare
 The Little Prince – Antoine de Saint-Exupery
THEATER
 Theater uses live performers to present accounts or imaginary events before a live
audience.
 Theater art performance usually follows follow a script, though they should not be
confused with literary arts.
 Like in filmmaking, theater also considers several elements such as acting, gesture,
lighting, sound effects, musical score, scenery and props.
 Like performance art, theater also is a live performance.
 Genres: drama, musical, tragedy, comedy and improvisation
APPLIED ARTS
 Applied arts is incorporating elements of style and design to everyday items with the
aim of increasing their aesthetic value.
 Artists in this field bring beauty, charm, and comfort into many things that were
useful in everyday life.
 Industrial design, interior design, fashion design, graphic design
 While through imagination, an artist is able to craft something bold, something new, and
something better in the hopes of creating something that will stimulate change
 Through expression, an artist is able to explore his own emotions while at the same time,
create something beautiful out of it.

MODULE 3

Functions and Philosophical Perspectives on Art

Functions of Art:
 Roughly and broadly, the functions of art are classified into three: personal (public
display or expression), social (celebration or to affect collective behavior), and
physical (utilitarian).
 Does Art Always Have to Be Functional?
 The value of a work of art does not depend on function but on the work itself.
 Despite these, efficiency cannot be mistaken as beauty. While it certainly
determines beauty in some works of art, an efficient functional object is not
necessarily beautiful.
Philosophical Perspectives on Art:
 Art as an Imitation.
- For Plato, when one ascribes beauty to another person, he refers to an imperfect
beauty that participates only in the form of beauty in the World of Forms.
 Art as a Representation
- Aristotle considered art as an aid to philosophy in revealing truth. It allows for the
experience of pleasure. art also has an ability to be instructive and teach its
audience things about life; thus, it is cognitive as well.
 Art as a Disinterested Judgment
- Immanuel Kant, in his Critique of Judgment, considered the judgment of beauty,
the cornerstone of art, as something that can be universal despite its subjectivity.
- Kant mentioned that judgment of beauty, and therefore, art, is innately
autonomous from specific interests.
 Art as a Communication of Emotion
- Art plays a huge role in communication to its audience’s emotions that the artist
previously experienced.
 - In the same that language communicates information to other people, art
communicates emotions.
- As a purveyor of man’s innermost feelings and thoughts, art is given a unique
opportunity to serve as a mechanism for social unity.
- Art is central to man’s existence because it makes accessible feelings and
emotions of people from the past and present.
LESSON SUMMARY
 Art has remained relevant in our daily lives because most of it has played some form
of function for man.
 The different functions of art may be classified as either personal, social, or physical.
 Art may serve either as imitation, representation, a disinterested judgment, or simply
a communication of emotion.

MODULE 4

Types of Subject:
 Representational art – have subjects that refer to objects or events occurring in the
real world.
 Depict something easily recognized by most people.
 Non-representational art – does not make a reference to the real world, whether it is a
person, place, thing, or even a particular event. It is stripped down to visual elements
such as shapes, lines, and colors that are employed to translate a particular feeling,
emotion, and even concept.
 No resemblance to any real subject. They do not represent anything and they
are what they are. They rather appeal directly to the senses primarily because
of the satisfying organization of their elements.
Sources and Kinds of Subject:
 Often, even a singular source of inspiration can yield multiple translations.
Content in Art:
 To recognize and grasp the message of the artwork, the viewer may sometimes need
to go beyond what is visible.
  There are various levels of meaning – factual, conventional, and the possibility of a
variety of meanings.
LESSON SUMMARY
 One may begin by looking at perceivable features of the artwork. Taking note of what
is apparent will provide clues as to what the intended meaning of the artist might be.
 Knowing more about the context of its creation—from the artist’s inspiration,
reference or source, will prove useful in understanding the meaning of the artwork.

MODULE 5

Artists and Artisans

The Artisan and the Guilds:
 The practice of artists was not grounded on the idea of individual capacities or
success; rather, in the commitment to work together as a collective.
 Guilds were a type of social fellowship, an association structured with rules, customs,
rights, and responsibilities. With a lifetime commitment to a particular trade, an
artisan develops immense skill and expertise in his craft.
The Artist and His Studio:
 The site that saw the shift from a craftsman to an independent artist was a very
personal space for the artist himself, which is the studio.
Other Players in the World of Art:
 In the last century, some of the roles that have been existent since the beginning of art
history have been properly dealt with—ascribed with a name—and legitimized into a
sophisticated network of relationships and exchanges. This network is what we call
the art world.
 What must be recognized is that, as Becker contended, there are numerous people
who either work in consent or dissension, and in doing so, continuously (re)-define,
(in)validate, maintain (or abolish), reproduce, and circulate the “cultural category of
art, and to produce the consent of the entire society in the legitimacy of the art
world’s authority to do so” (Irvine, 2013).
Production Process:
 The process of creating an artwork does not necessarily follow a linear progression.
  The process is essentially tripartite:
(1) preproduction,
(2) production, and
(3) postproduction.
Medium and Technique:
 Medium is the mode of expression in which the concept, idea, or message is
conveyed.
 The technique of the artwork shows the level of familiarity with the medium being
manipulated.
Engagement with Art:
 The defining roles and nature of exhibitions have had an interesting evolution,
changing alongside the demands of the society that purports to partake in its display.
 The art exhibition, by its nature, holds a mirror up to society, reflecting its interests
and concerns while at the same time challenging its ideologies and preconceptions.
Awards and Citations:
 After an artist has spent considerable time in honing his skills, establishing the
relevance of the body of his works, and even gaining respect from his colleagues in
the art world, he may be considered or nominated for awards and citations.
LESSON SUMMARY
 The evolution of the artist throughout history is one of the most interesting
progressions in the affairs of man.

MODULE 6

Elements and Principles of Art

Elements of Art: Visual
 These elements of art are generally produced when something is done to the medium
after the technique is carried out.
 To enumerate, the elements of art and design are the following: line, shape and form,
space, color, and texture.
Elements of Art: Visual
 LINE- refers to a point moving at an identifiable path- it has length and direction. It
also has width. It is one-dimensional, however, it has the capacity to either define the
perimeters of the artwork (edges) and/or become a substantial component of the
composition.
 COLOR- Refers to visible light as it is reflected from surfaces; the range of colors
(spectrum) is traditionally described as warm (red, yellow, orange), cool (blue,
green), or neutral (brown, gray).
– One of its aspects is hue, w/c has to do w/ how light waves of various lengths and
rapidity of vibrations bounce off objects and enter our eyes.
 Primary colors:
 Blue, yellow, red
 Secondary color:
 Yellow + red = orange
 red + blue = violet
 blue + yellow = green
 Hues vary in saturation, intensity, or brilliance.
 Brilliant blue + neutral hue (gray) = hue or blueness does not change; it just becomes
less intense or duller.
 Chiaroscuro
- From the Italian word for “light- dark”, the term originated from the Renaissance
- Refers to the management of light and dark tones and/or shading, to “model” or
create illusion of form and depth.
Elements of Art: Visual
 VALUE – Refers to gradations of tone from light to dark, w/c can be an aspect of
color as discussed above, but could also specifically refer to the play of light on an
object or a scene.
o In paintings, it is shading, blending and chiaroscuro or the play of light and
dark that lend the flat surface an illusion of depth and perspective.
 TEXTURE – Refers to how objects and surfaces feel, and is most associated w/ the
sense of touch or tactility.
 – smooth, translucent, fine, silky, satiny, velvety, sandy, furry, feathery, slimy, gritty,
rough, rugged, coarse, porous, irregular, jagged, thick, thin
 SHAPE – Three-dimensional shapes possesses length, width and volume.
- Can either be geometric (rectilinear or curvilinear), biomorphic, or free
inventions.
- Refers to forms that are two- dimensional or three-dimensional.
- Two-dimensional shapes exist as planes having length and width.
 COMPOSITION IN SPACE
- Refers to structure or the manner the artist uses or arranges elements of the
artwork in an area, and how these components relate to each other.
- Is rooted to the physiological and psychological factors in visual perception and
cognition.
Planes and Perspectives:
 Picture plane is the actual surface of the painting or drawing, where no illusion of a
third dimension exists.
 Aside from this technique, linear perspective changed the way pictorial
representation was done.
Elements of Art: Auditory
 Perhaps one of the most widespread forms of art, whose intersection in daily life is
most perceptible, is music. Music is sound organized in a specific time.
 Some of the common elements of music are the following: rhythm, dynamics,
melody, harmony, timbre, and texture.
 RHYTHM -Often associated to the terms beat, and tempo. It is the pulse of the
music. Beat is the basic unit of music while tempo refers to its speed (beats/second).
 Classical terms are used to refer to the variations in tempo, some of which are:
• Largo — slowly and broadly • Allegro — fast
• Andante — walking pace • Vivace — lively
• Moderato — at moderate speed
• Accelerando — gradually speeding up
• Rallentado — gradually slowing down
• Allargando — getting slower, broadening
 • Rubato — literally "robbed time". Rhythm is played freely for expressive effect
 DYNAMICS - The element of music the refers to the loudness or quietness of music.
- Classical terms are used to refer to the different levels pertaining to this:
• Pianissimo [pp] — very quiet
• piano [p] — quite
• Mezzo-piano [mp] — moderately quite
• Mezzo-forte [mf] — moderately loud
• Forte [f] — loud
• Fortissimo [ff] — very loud
• When composers indicate an increase, or decrease in loudness, they use the
terms crescendo for the former; and decrescendo or diminuendo for the latter.
 MELODY - Refers to the linear presentation (horizontal) of pitch. By horizontal, it
means that in musical notation, it is read in succession from left to right pitch is the
highness or lowness of musical sound.
 HARMONY - If melody is horizontal, harmony is vertical. When several notes are
simultaneously played, this refers to a chord. Harmony can be described in terms of
its "harshness": dissonance is the harsh-sounding combination while consonance is
the smooth-sounding combination.
 TIMBRE - often likened to the color of music. It is a quality that distinguishes a
voice or an instrument from another. Dependent on the technique, the timbre may
give a certain tone or characteristics to music, much like you a painter evokes
different effects or impressions onto the canvas.
 TEXTURE - the number of melodies, the type of layers, and their relatedness in a
composition is the texture of music. It may be:
• Monophonic — single melodic line
• Polyphonic — two or more melodic lines
• Homophonic — main melody accompanied by chords
Principles of Art:
 The principles of art will provide explicit ways in which these elements are used, how
they are manipulated, how they interact, and how they inform the overall composition
of the artwork to assist the artist in conveying his intention.
 The Principles of Art are guides that govern or descriptions of how artists organize
the elements of art.
 These principles are: balance, scale and proportion, emphasis and contrast, unity
and variety, harmony, movement, rhythm, and repetition and pattern
 Proportion—principle of art concerned with the size relationships of one part to
another or to the whole.
 Balance—principle of design concerned with equalizing visual forces, or elements in
a work of art. If a work of art has visual balance,
the viewer feels that the elements have been arranged in a satisfying way. Visual
imbalance makes the viewer feel that the elements need to be rearranged. The two
types are called formal or symmetrical and informal or asymmetrical. A principle of
art concerned with arranging the elements so no one part overpowers, or seems
heavier than any other part.
 Variety—principle of design concerned with difference or contrast. Combining one
or more elements of art to create interest by adding slight changes.
 Rhythm—the principle of art that indicates movement by repetition of elements.
Visual rhythm is perceived through the eyes and is created by positive spaces
separated by negative spaces. There are five types of rhythm: random, regular,
alternating, flowing and progressive. The repetition of an element to make a work
seem active or to suggest vibration.
 Emphasis—principle of design that makes one part of the work dominant over the
other parts. The element noticed first is called dominant; the elements noticed later
are called subordinate. Making an element or an object stand out.
 Unity—the quality of wholeness or oneness that is achieved through the effective use
of the elements and principles of art. Unity is created by simplicity, repetition,
proximity and continuation. The arrangement of elements and principles of art with
media to create a feeling of completeness or wholeness.
Combined or Hybrid Art:
 In combined arts, improvisation is often tapped in addition to practical and logical
considerations of creating an artwork.
 Another movement that is reminiscent of the motivations of the Renaissance, and
whose emergence is hinged on the frontiers of science and technology, is called
hybrid arts
LESSON SUMMARY
 The elements and principles of art are essential to any artwork. Some of them will be
more obvious than others, becoming the anchors in which the viewer may latch on to
engage with the artwork.
WESTERN ART HISTORY
Prehistoric Art (~40,000–4,000 B.C.)
 The origins of art history can be traced back to the Prehistoric era, before written
records were kept. 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’re
estimated to be up to 20,000 years old and depict large animals and vegetation from
the area.

Ancient Art (4,000 B.C.–A.D. 400)

 Ancient art was produced by advanced civilizations, which in this case

refers to those with an established written language. These civilizations
included Mesopotamia, Egypt, Greece, and those of the Americas.
 The medium of a work of art from this period varies depending on the
civilization that produced it, but most art served similar purposes: to tell
stories, decorate utilitarian objects like bowls and weapons, display religious
and symbolic imagery, and demonstrate social status. Many works depict
stories of rulers, gods, and goddesses.
 One of the most famous works from ancient Mesopotamia is the Code of
Hammurabi. Created around 1792 B.C., the piece bears a Babylonian set of
laws carved in stone, adorned by an image of King Hammurabi—the sixth
King of Babylonia—and the Mesopotamian god, Shabash.

Medieval Art (500–1400)

 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
reflects 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.
 This period was also responsible for the emergence of the illuminated
manuscript and Gothic architecture style. Definitive examples of influential
art from this period include the catacombs in Rome, Hagia Sophia in
Istanbul, the Lindisfarne Gospels, one of the best-known examples of the
illuminated manuscript, and Notre Dame, a Parisian cathedral and
prominent example of Gothic architecture.

Renaissance Art (1400–1600)

 This style of painting, sculpture, and decorative art was characterized by a

focus on nature and individualism, the thought of man as independent and
self-reliant. Though these ideals were present in the late Medieval period,
they flourished in the 15th and 16th centuries, paralleling social and economic
changes like secularization.
 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. Italian designer Filippo Brunelleschi and sculptor Donatello
were key innovators during this period.
 The High Renaissance, which lasted from 1490 to 1527, produced influential
artists such as da Vinci, Michelangelo, and Raphael, each of whom brought
creative power and spearheaded ideals of emotional expression. 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. Art began to change
stylistically shortly after the High Renaissance, when clashes between the
Christian faith and humanism gave way to Mannerism.

Mannerism (1527–1580)

 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. This
yielded more complex, stylized compositions rather than relying on the
classical ideals of harmonious composition and linear perspective used by
their Renaissance predecessors.
 Some of the most celebrated Mannerist artists include Giorgio Vasari,
Francesco Salviati, Domenico Beccafumi, and Bronzino, who is widely
considered to be the most important Mannerist painter in Florence during his
time.

Baroque (1600–1750)

The Baroque period that followed Mannerism 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 and had energetic compositions matched by rich color palettes.

Rococo (1699–1780)

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.

Painters like Antoine Watteau and Francois Boucher used lighthearted treatments, rich
brushwork, and fresh colors. 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.

Neoclassicism (1750–1850)

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. For example, Italian sculptor Antonio Canova drew upon classical elements in
his marble sculptures, but avoided the cold artificiality that was represented in many of
these early creations.

Romanticism (1780–1850)
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.
Prominent Romantic painters include Henry Fuseli, who created strange, macabre
paintings that explored the dark recesses of human psychology, and William Blake,
whose mysterious poems and images conveyed mystical visions and his
disappointment in societal constraints.

Realism (1848–1900)

Arguably the first modern art movement, Realism, began in France in the 1840s.
Realism was a result of multiple events: the anti-Romantic movement in Germany, the
rise of journalism, and the advent of photography. Each inspired new interest in
accurately capturing everyday life. This attention to accuracy is evident in art produced
during the movement, which featured detailed, life-like depictions of subject matter.

One of the most influential leaders of the Realist movement is Gustave Courbet, a
French artist committed to painting only what he could physically see.

Art Nouveau (1890–1910)

Art Nouveau, which translates to “New Art,” attempted to create an entirely authentic
movement free from any imitation of styles that preceded it. This movement heavily
influenced applied arts, graphics, and illustration. It focused on the natural world,
characterized by long, sinuous lines and curves.
Influential Art Nouveau artists worked in a variety of media, including architecture,
graphic and interior design, jewelry-making, and painting. Czechoslovakian graphic
designer Alphonse Mucha is best-known for his theatrical posters of French actress
Sarah Bernhardt. Spanish architect and sculptor Antoni Gaudi went beyond focusing on
lines to create curving, brightly-colored constructions like that of the Basilica de la
Sagrada Familia in Barcelona.

Impressionism (1865–1885)

Impressionist painters sought to capture the immediate impression of a particular

moment. This was characterized by short, quick brushstrokes and an unfinished,
sketch-like feel. Impressionist artists used modern life as their subject matter, painting
situations like dance halls and sailboat regattas rather than historical and mythological
events.
Claude Monet, a French artist who spearheaded the idea of expressing one’s
perceptions before nature, is virtually synonymous with the Impressionist movement.
His notable works include The Water Lily Pond (1899), Woman with a Parasol (1875),
and Impression, Sunrise (1872), from which the name of the movement itself is derived.

Post-Impressionism (1885–1910)

Post-Impressionist painters worked independently rather than as a group, but each

influential Post-Impressionist painter had similar ideals. They concentrated on
subjective visions and symbolic, personal meanings rather than observations of the
outside world. This was often achieved through abstract forms.

Post-Impressionist painters include Georges Seurat, noted for his pointillism technique

that used small, distinct dots to form an image. Vincent van Gogh is also considered a
Post-Impressionist painter, searching for personal expression through his art, often
through rugged brushstrokes and dark tones.
Fauvism (1900–1935)

Led by Henri Matisse, Fauvism built upon examples from Vincent van Gogh and George
Seurat. As the first avant-garde, 20th-century movement, this style was characterized
by expressive use of intense color, line, and brushwork, a bold sense of surface design,
and flat composition.
As seen in many of the works of Matisse himself, the separation of color from its
descriptive, representational purpose was one of the core elements that shaped this
movement. Fauvism was an important precursor of Cubism and Expressionism.

Expressionism (1905–1920)

Expressionism emerged as a response to increasingly conflicted world views and the

loss of spirituality. Expressionist art sought to draw from within the artist, using a
distortion of form and strong colors to display anxieties and raw emotions. Expressionist
painters, in a quest for authenticity, looked for inspiration beyond that of Western art
and frequented ethnographic museums to revisit native folk traditions and tribal art.
The roots of Expressionism can be traced to Vincent van Gogh, Edvard Munch,
and James Ensor. Prominent groups including Die Brücke (The Bridge) and Der Blaue
Reiter (The Blue Rider) formed so artists could publish works and express their ideals
collectively.

Cubism (1907–1914)

Cubism was established by Pablo Picasso and Georges Braque, who rejected the

concept that art should copy nature. They moved away from traditional techniques and
perspectives; instead, they created radically fragmented objects through abstraction.
Many Cubist painters’ works are marked by flat, two-dimensional surfaces, geometric
forms or “cubes” of objects, and multiple vantage points. Often, their subjects weren’t
even discernible.

Surrealism (1916–1950)

Surrealism emerged from the Dada art movement in 1916, showcasing works of art that

defied reason. Surrealists denounced the rationalist mindset. They blamed this thought
process on events like World War I and believed it to repress imaginative thoughts.
Surrealists were influenced by Karl Marx and theories developed by Sigmund Freud,
who explored psychoanalysis and the power of imagination.
Influential Surrealist artists like Salvador Dalí tapped into the unconscious mind to
depict revelations found on the street and in everyday life. Dalí’s paintings in particular
pair vivid and bizarre dreams with historical accuracy.

Abstract Expressionism (1940s–1950s)

Shaped by the legacy of Surrealism, Abstract Expressionism emerged in New York after
WWII. It’s often referred to as the New York School or action painting. These painters
and abstract sculptors broke away from what was considered conventional, and instead
used spontaneity and improvisation to create abstract works of art. This included
colossally-scaled works whose size could no longer be accommodated by an easel.
Instead, canvases would be placed directly upon the floor.
Celebrated Abstract Expressionist painters include Jackson Pollock, known for his
unique style of drip painting, and Mark Rothko, whose paintings employed large blocks
of color to convey a sense of spirituality.

Op Art (1950s–1960s)

Heightened by advances in science and technology as well as an interest in optical

effects and illusions, the Op art (short for “optical” art) movement launched with Le
Mouvement, a group exhibition at Galerie Denise Rene in 1955. Artists active in this style
used shapes, colors, and patterns to create images that appeared to be moving or
blurring, often produced in black and white for maximum contrast. These abstract
patterns were meant to both confuse and excite the eye.
English artist Bridget Riley is one of the most prominent Op Art practitioners. Her 1964
artwork Blaze features zigzag black and white lines that create the illusion of a circular
decent.

Pop Art (1950s–1960s)

Pop art is one of the most recognizable artistic developments of the 20th century. The
movement transitioned away from methods used in Abstract Expressionism, and
instead used everyday, mundane objects to create innovative works of art that
challenged consumerism and mass media. This introduction to identifiable imagery was
a shift from the direction of modernism.
Pop artists like Andy Warhol and Roy Lichtenstein sought to establish the idea that art
can draw from any source and there is no hierarchy of culture to disrupt that. Perhaps
the most famous pop culture work of art is Warhol’s Campbell’s Soup Cans production.

Arte Povera (1960s)

Translating literally to “poor art,” Arte Povera challenged modernist, contemporary

systems by infusing commonplace materials into creations. Artists used soil, rocks,
paper, rope, and other earthen elements to evoke a pre-industrial sentiment. As a
result, many of the notable works during this movement are sculptural.

Italian artist Mario Merz, in conjunction with other Italian artists such as Giovanni
Anselmo and Alighiero Boetti, created anti-elitist works by drawing upon materials from
everyday life. His 1968 Giap’s Igloo, one of what would soon become his signature
series of igloos, focused on his occupations with the necessities of life: shelter, warmth,
and food.
Minimalism (1960s–1970s)

The Minimalist movement emerged in New York as a group of younger artists began to
question the overly expressive works of Abstract Expressionist artists. Minimalist
art instead focused on anonymity, calling attention to the materiality of works. Artists
urged viewers to focus on precisely what was in front of them, rather than draw parallels
to outside realities and emotive thoughts through the use of purified forms, order,
simplicity, and harmony.
American artist Frank Stella was of the earliest adopters of Minimalism, producing
nonrepresentational paintings, as seen in his Black Paintings completed between 1958
and 1960. Each features a pattern of rectilinear stripes of uniform width printed in
metallic black ink.

Conceptual Art (1960s–1970s)

Conceptual art completely rejected previous art movements, and artists prized ideas
over visual components, creating art in the from of performances, ephemera, and other
forms. Polish performance artist Ewa Partum’s Active Poetry consisted of her scattering
single alphabet letters across various landscapes. American artist Joseph Kosuth
explored the production and role of language within art, as seen in his 1965,  One and
Three Chairs. In it, he represents one chair in three different ways to represent different
meanings of the same object. Because this type of art focused on ideas and concepts,
there was no distinct style or form.

Contemporary Art (1970–present)

The 1970s marked the beginning of contemporary art, which extends through present
day. This period is dominated by various schools and smaller movements that emerged.

 Postmodernism: In reaction against modernism, artists created works that reflected

skepticism, irony, and philosophical critiques.
 Feminist art: This movement arose in an attempt to transform stereotypes and break the
model of a male-dominated art history.
 Neo Expressionism: Artists sought to revive original aspects of Expressionism and create
highly textural, expressive, large works.
 Street art: Artists such as Keith Haring, Jean-Michel Basquiat, Barry McGee, Banksy, and
more created graffiti-like art on surfaces in public places like sidewalks, buildings, and
overpasses.
 The Pictures Generation: Artists Cindy Sherman, Louise Lawler, Gary Simmons, and
others who were influenced by Conceptual and Pop art experimented with recognizable
imagery to explore images shaped our perceptions of the world.
 Appropriation art: This movement focused on the use of images in art with little
transformation from their original form.
 Young British Artists (YBA): This group of London artists were notorious for their
willingness to shock audiences through their imagery, and a willingness to push beyond
limits of decency. They’re also known for their zestful, entrepreneurial spirit.
 Digital art: The advent of the camera lent way to this artistic practice that allowed artists
to use the infusion of art and technology to create with mediums like computers, audio and
visual software, sound, and pixels.