Art Movements

This is just an outline of the movement of Western art(painting) over time. Though nowadays the term 'art movement' in itself has been set down as art has eveolved into a free flow of expression, that varies with individual tastes and understanding.

Prehistoric - Prehistoric art is mostly 'cave art' which generally comprised of figures of wild animals and revolved around hunting. Wild animals painted on walls were believed to be easier to 'catch' as their soul had already been 'caught'.

Ancient Art - It represents artisitic expression in the ancient Mediterranean world of Egypt, Greece and Rome. It represents a vast time block (1100 - 5/6 BC) ranging from pre-historic times to the Bronze Age. Ancient Egypt was known for its mural paintings with their bold outlines. It seemed as if everything followed one order. In ancient Gree, paintings done on ceramics and vases were most popular.

Medieval - This was of the Middle Ages, with exhibits of the Byzantine, Carolingian and Ottonian era and other Gothic ones. Religion played a very important role as most paintings depicted scenes from the Bible as well as of leaders of Christianity. Toward the 13th Century, symbolic paintings became more realistic. Guitto and his mentor Cimabue, were considered pioneers in the move toward naturalism. Stained glass paintings ruled decorations.

Renaissance - 17th Century in Italy. Paintings from this period were more realistic and 'soft'. Relative proportion was keenly followed which made the work accurate and real. Careful use of color lent a more natural and full look. Painters from this era are household names - Paolo Uccelo, Botticelli, Leonardo Da Vinci, Michelangelo, Raphael etc.

Baroque - Baroque painters wanting to portray movements and lend a more dramatic air to the paintings made use of selective illumination of figures out of deep shadow. Painters were Rembradt, Poussin, Vermeer. During the 18th Century, Rococo movement followed a sub-genre of Baroque.

19th Century - This was the era of many different schools such as Romanticism, Neo classism and the ever-famous Impressionism. Neo classism emerged from Rococo and then moved on as Romanticism, a very sensual look. Romantic painters made landscape an important genre. Then came Realism mid-century. After that impressionism came around 1860's and post-impressionism during the late 19th and early 20th. Impressionist painters Manet, Monet, Renoir, Sisley and Degas used distinctive brush strokes, changing qualities of light and ordinary subjects. Post - Impressionism paintings were that of Van Gogh and Cezzane who laid the foundation for Modern Art.

Modern Art (1860 - 1970) - Subjects clearly experimented with both nature of materials and ideas and tended to be quite abstract
20th Century Contemporary -
It includes all art produced after WW2