CTAIERUCRTEH

LUPCURETS
ININPTGSA
Art History
Timeline
 Prehistoric Art (40,000–4,000 B.C.)
 Prehistoric art refers artifacts made before there was a written record.
 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.
 It was in the Neolithic era (New Stone Age) that we see the most important developments in human
history
 Paleolithic artists have five main colors at their disposal: yellow, red, brown, black and white.
► Works from this prehistoric period are not always simple, but can be quite complex.
► Prehistoric people often represented their world and beliefs through visual images.
► Prehistoric art, in general, can be seen as the representation of a symbolic system that is an integral part
of the culture that creates it. It is therefore not readily intelligible or accessible to other cultures.
The Lascaux Cave paintings for example were made with brushes made from animal fur.
Because the people who made these art pieces were amateurs there is evidence of their
desire to show both realism and to use abstraction in an effort to make the art more portable.
 Egyptian Art (3100 BCE - 395 CE)
► Ancient Egyptian art, for example, is world famous for the extraordinary Egyptian Pyramids, while other
features unique to the art of Ancient Egypt include its writing script based on pictures and symbols
(hieroglyphics), and its meticulous hieratic style of painting and stone carving.
► The function of Egyptian art was twofold. First, to glorify the gods - including the Pharaoh - and facilitate
human passage into the after-life. Second, to assert, propagandize and preserve the values of the day.
► Most Egyptian artworks involve the depiction of many gods and goddesses - of whom the Pharaoh was
one. In addition, the Egyptian respect for order and conservative values led to the establishment of
complex rules for how both Gods and humans could be represented by artists.
► Egyptian artists used six colours in their paintings red, green, blue, yellow, white and black.
 Scene from the Book of the Dead
(Thebes Dynasty c.1000 BCE)

Tuthankamen's famous Burial Mask Hypostyle Hall, Karnak temple, Luxor.

(c.1323 BCE) Egyptian Museum, Cairo. (Begun 16th century BCE). The photo
Includes 11 kilograms of solid gold. clearly illustrates the massive scale of
A wonderful piece of precious monumental Egyptian architecture,
metalwork from the New Kingdom. which dwarfs anything erected at the
time in Europe.
 Greek Art (c.650-27 BCE)

 Ancient Greek art proper "emerged" during the 8th century BCE (700-800), as things calmed down
around the Aegean.
 About this time, iron was made into weapons/tools, people started using an alphabet, the first Olympic
Games took place (776), a complex religion emerged, and a loose sense of cultural identity grew up
around the idea of "Hellas" (Greece).
 Early forms of Greek art were largely confined to ceramic pottery.
 Greek art is all about images: images of gods, images of heroes, and images of humans. The self-
awareness of the Greeks is reflected in the ways they decided to visualize themselves and the world,
both real and imaginary, surrounding them.
Discus Thrower (Discobolus) Venus de Milo (c.100 BCE) Doryphorus (440) by Polykleitos.
Roman copy of the original (Aphrodite of Melos) Museo Archeologico Nazionale,
bronze by Myron (425 BCE) Louvre, Paris. An icon Naples.
National Museum, Rome. of Hellenistic sculpture.
 Roman Art 500 BC – 500 AD

► Ancient Rome was the most powerful nation on earth, excelling all others at military organization and
warfare, engineering, and architecture. Its unique cultural achievements include the invention of the
dome and the groin vault, the development of concrete and a European-wide network of roads and
bridges.
► Despite this, Roman sculptors and painters produced only a limited amount of outstanding original fine
art, preferring instead to recycle designs from Greek art, which they revered as far superior to their own.
► Indeed, many types of art practiced by the Romans - including, sculpture (bronze and marble statuary,
sarcophagi), fine art painting (murals, portraiture, vase-painting), and decorative art (including
metalwork, mosaics, jewelry, ivory carving) had already been fully mastered by Ancient Greek artists.
Marcus Aurelius' Column (193 CE) Erected The Severan Tondo: panel painting
in the Piazza Colonna, Rome. of the Imperial Family (c.200 CE)
Depicts the "rain miracle of Quadi".
God rescues the Roman Legion from
destruction by barberians by creating a
terrible storm.
 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.
 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.
Lamentation (The
The Allegory of Good and Christ Pantocrator (Sinai)
Mourning of Christ)
Bad Government by (c. 500 – 600)
(1306) by Giotto di
Ambrogio Lorenzetti
Bondone.
 Renaissance Art (1400–1600)

► Renaissance art was driven by the new notion of "Humanism," a philosophy which had been the
foundation for many of the achievements (eg. democracy) of pagan ancient Greece.
► 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 era, 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.
 School of Athens (1509-11) by
Raphael, in the Stanza della Segnatura
in the Raphael Rooms at the Vatican

Mona Lisa (1503-6) By Leonardo. The Last Judgement fresco on the wall of the Sistine
Chapel in Rome, (1536-41) by Michelangelo.
 Baroque (1600–1750)

 The term Baroque (derived from the Portuguese 'barocco' meaning, 'irregular pearl or stone') describes a
fairly complex idiom, originating in Rome, which flowered during the period c.1590-1720, and which
embraced painting, and sculpture as well as architecture.
 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.
Samson and Delilah (1609-1610) by Peter Paul Caravaggio, The Calling of Saint Matthew,
Rubens, the great Flemish Baroque painter. circa 1599-1600.
 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.
► In the world of Rococo, all art forms, including fine art painting, architecture, sculpture, interior design,
furniture, fabrics, porcelain and other "objets d'art" are subsumed within an ideal of elegant prettiness.
► Painters like Antoine Watteau and Francois Boucher used lighthearted treatments, rich brushwork, and
fresh colors.
 Rococo Nymphenburg Porcelain group
(1756) Bavarian National Museum.
By Franz Anton Bustelli.
A Young Girl Reading (c.1776)
National Gallery of Art,
Washington DC.
By Jean-Honore Fragonard.

Antoine Watteau, The Embarkation for

Cythera 1717
 Nineteenth Century

► The 19th Century was a period when Europe and the world experienced rapid and profound changes in
all areas.
► The period was also one of huge social change and urbanization, which was instigated by the birth of
science as a profession and two huge Industrial Revolutions, which defined the period as the age of the
machine, impacting every level of society and improving just about every part of everyday life.
► Art, and especially painting, in the 19th Century was no different. The changes over the course of 100
years were dramatic, transitioning from historic ‘Old Masters’ style works, to the dawn of Modernity.
► Over the course of the 19th Century many innovative and original art movements and styles were born.
Some were of these movements were short-lived and only flourished within small districts, whilst others
were widespread and had a profound effect on the evolution of art.
Neoclassicism: c. 1780-1900
• At the turn of the 19th Century, Neoclassicism was
the dominant style of painting in Europe.
• Neoclassical painting is generally a form of history
painting, a genre which traversed many styles but
depended on historic subject matter.
• Painters in the Neoclassical style attached a great
deal of importance to the art of drawing, and so the
surface of Neoclassical paintings were entirely
smooth and utterly devoid of any brushstrokes.
• Paintings were well-delineated – figures were
easily distinguishable from shadow and were
characteristically well-lit. Any shadows in
paintings did not obscure or confuse any elements
of the composition, and it the focal point of
paintings were made very clear to the viewer.
Romanticism: c. 1750-1890
• Romanticism was part of a larger artistic movement
that included literature and architecture as well as
painting, originating in Britain in the mid-18th
Century.
• Romanticism was influenced by spiritual beliefs,
folk culture and an interest in the medieval era,
which characterized some of the painting produced
during the period.
• Romantic painting in terms of subject matter was
very broad, favouring emotional depictions,
intensely sad and intensely heroic subjects.
• Paintings were defined by bold, linear drawing and
strong juxtapositions of light and shade. Many
Romantic paintings have a sketchy, grainy
appearance with a certain softness to them,
although this is not true of them all.
 Realism: c. 1850-1900
• Realism, often referred to as Naturalism, originated
in France in the 1850’s in the wake of the 1848
French Revolution.
• Paintings in the Realist style depicted scenes of
everyday life, seeking to appeal to the general
public rather than just being aimed at the upper
echelons of society.
• Realism was interested in the realism of the subject
matter, marking a departure from Neoclassical
history paintings and Romanticism, which elevated
subjects to monumental importance. Realism was
interested in common laborers and normal,
everyday people as its subjects.
Impressionism: c. 1870-1920
• Impressionism was a stylistic movement of
painting that emerged in the 1870’s in France and
became popular throughout Europe for the next
fifty years.
• Impressionism was not just a movement, but it
introduced a whole new visual and technical styles
for painting.
• The key features of Impressionism are the fine,
light, highly visible brushstrokes that wash across
the paintings and the importance of the attention to
the accurate depiction of the light throughout the
day or night.
• The Impressionist movement coincided with
significant advances made in paint technology –
premixed paints in new, vibrant colours became
available in tubes, which allowed artists to work
more spontaneously and very easily outside.
 Post-Impressionism
• Post-Impressionism was the last important European
artistic movement of the 19th century, which took place
predominantly in France between the years 1886-1905.
• Post-Impressionist painting was not unified by one
overarching style, and was instead made up of a wide
range of techniques and styles that were associated with
the artists that developed them.
• most Post-Impressionist paintings were unified by their
emotive qualities and rich symbolism. Thick, painterly
brushstrokes characterised many Post-Impressionist
paintings, and were arranged in orderly, directional
patterns to make up a composition.
• The colours used were bold and vivid, bordering on
unnaturally vibrant, and subject matter ranged from
landscape painting to still life painting, encompassing
genre scenes and social compositions as well.
 Twentieth Century

 The 20th century opened new vistas and possibilities that expanded everyday human
experience and greatly influenced the world of art and original painting. From the earliest years
of the turn of the century, artists were beginning to experiment with subject matter, creating
realities reflective more of their own inner visions than what lay before them in nature.
Concurrent with this was a search for new techniques, materials, and approaches to support
these forays into new terrains.
 20th century painting movements and trends inspired artists to set out in many divergent
directions, resulting in a broad range of styles and forms. Here are some of the major
movements that defined and shaped art in the 20th century and which still influence the art
being produced today.
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.
Edvard Munch, The Dance of Life, 1899. Image
via Wikimedia Commons.
 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.

Henri Matisse, Woman With a Hat, 1905. Image

via Wikimedia Commons.
 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.
Violin and Palette, Georges Braque, 1909. Image
via Wikimedia Commons.
 Dadaism

• Dadaism was an art movement born from a

reaction to capitalism, nationalism, and
corrupt politics, which many believed
resulted in the horrors of World War I. With
modern, mechanized warfare as the
backdrop, artists disenfranchised with
society’s cold rationality used art to protest
the establishment.

Raoul Hausmann, Spirit of the Age: Mechanical

Head, 1919, wooden mannequin head with
attached objects, 32.5 x 21 x 20 cm (Centre
Pompidou, Musée National d’Art Moderne, Paris)
 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. René Magritte, The Son of Man, 1964. Image via
Wikipedia.
 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. René Magritte, The Son of Man, 1964. Image via
Wikipedia.
 Pop Art (1950s–1960s)
• Pop art is a movement that emerged in the
mid-20th century in which artists
incorporated commonplace objects—comic
strips, soup cans, newspapers, and more—
into their work. The Pop art movement
aimed to solidify the idea that art can draw
from any source, and there is no hierarchy
of culture to disrupt this.
• Pop art is easily recognizable due to its
vibrancy and unique characteristics that are
present in many of the most iconic works
of the movement.
Roy Lichtenstein, “Foot and Hand”
(1964)
ACTIVITY
Create a timeline of Art History. Use the materials of your own choice. Be creative.

Criteria Percentage
Creativity 30%
Information 30%
Organization 20%
Clarity 20%
Total 100%