Discovering and Enjoying Art

Art Styles and Movements

Prehistoric Art (c. 40,000 BCE – 3500 BCE)

The earliest known art, featuring cave paintings, sculptures, and engravings with symbolic meaning.

Ancient Art

• Ancient Egyptian Art (c. 3100 BCE – 30 BCE): Characterized by monumentality, symbolism, and focus on the afterlife. Hieroglyphics were a prominent feature.
• Ancient Mesopotamian Art (c. 4500 BCE – 330 BCE): Known for detailed sculptures, reliefs, and intricate cylinder seals depicting mythology and daily life.
• Ancient Greek Art (c. 800 BCE – 146 BCE): Emphasized realism, idealization of the human form, and balance, often depicting gods, heroes, and philosophical themes.
• Ancient Roman Art (c. 500 BCE – 476 CE): Heavily influenced by Greece but incorporated Etruscan elements. Roman artists excelled in architecture, engineering, and realistic sculptures.

Medieval Art (c. 4th century – 14th century)

A broad term encompassing European art during the Middle Ages. Primarily religious, with Christian themes in paintings, sculptures, and stained glass windows.

Renaissance Art (14th century – 16th century)

A shift from the Middle Ages, emphasizing realism, humanism, and classical ideals. Notable artists include Leonardo da Vinci, Michelangelo, and Raphael.

Baroque Art (16th century – 18th century)

Characterized by drama, emotionality, and the use of light and shadow. Often depicted religious themes in a grand and theatrical style. Artists like Caravaggio, Rubens, and Rembrandt are well known from this period.

18th & 19th Century Art

• Neoclassicism (18th century – 19th century): A reaction to the Baroque style, drawing inspiration from ancient Greece and Rome. It emphasized clean lines, geometric forms, and historical themes.
• Romanticism (18th century – 19th century): Highlighted emotion, imagination, and nature. It often depicted dramatic landscapes, historical events, and individual emotions.
• Realism (19th century): Focused on depicting everyday life and social issues in a realistic and objective manner.
• Impressionism (19th century): Emphasized capturing the fleeting effects of light and atmosphere, with loose brushstrokes and vibrant colors.

Late 19th & Early 20th Century Art

• Post-Impressionism (1880s – 1900s): Built on Impressionism but incorporated more symbolic and expressive elements.
• Expressionism (early 20th century): Focused on expressing emotional experiences rather than depicting reality objectively.
• Symbolism (late 19th century – early 20th century): Used symbolic imagery and metaphors to convey deeper meanings.
• Art Nouveau (late 19th century – early 20th century): An ornate and decorative style inspired by natural forms.
• Fauvism (early 20th century): Emphasized bold, non-naturalistic colors and simplified forms.

20th & 21st Century Art

• Cubism (early 20th century): Fragmented objects into geometric forms to depict them from multiple viewpoints.
• Futurism (early 20th century): Glorified speed, technology, and violence, often depicting motion and dynamism.
• Constructivism (early 20th century): Used geometric forms and industrial materials to create abstract sculptures.
• Dada (early 20th century): An anti-art movement that challenged traditional aesthetics and embraced absurdity.
• Surrealism (1920s – 1930s): Explored the subconscious mind and dream imagery, often using fantastical and dreamlike elements.
• Abstract Expressionism (mid-20th century): Focused on the artist’s emotions and gestures rather than depicting recognizable objects.
• Pop Art (1950s – 1960s): Drew inspiration from mass media and popular culture, often using bold colors and recognizable imagery.
• Minimalism (mid-20th century – present): Emphasized simplicity, geometric forms, and the use of industrial materials.
• Conceptual Art (mid-20th century – present): The idea or concept behind the work is more important than the physical object itself

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• If you feel a more scholarly approach might enhance your experience, explore art books and courses.

💡Tip: Become an art collector and turn your home into an art gallery – for free.

• Self-Relevance Predicts the Aesthetic Appeal of Real and Synthetic Artworks Generated via Neural Style Transfer | Sage
• Original research: Evidence for the effects of viewing visual artworks on stress outcomes: a scoping review – PMC
• Normalisation of salivary cortisol levels and self-report stress by a brief lunchtime visit to an art gallery by London City workers : WestminsterResearch
• Influence of an Art Museum Visit on Individuals’ Psychological and Physiological Indicators of Stress – Master of Arts in Museology | University of Washington
• Beyond Learning: Exploring Visitors’ Perceptions of the Value and Benefits of Museum Experiences – The Museum Journal – Wiley Online Library
• Inner Vision: An Exploration of Art and the Brain. Semir Zeki | The Quarterly Review of Biology | The University of Chicago
• Art museums as institutions for human flourishing: The Journal of Positive Psychology | Taylor & Francis
• Frontiers | Art and Psychological Well-Being: Linking the Brain to the Aesthetic Emotion

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