YCP presents: An in-depth study on art history from the 1300's to today.
Although the history of art is much more complex and convoluted, the following is a general summary of origins and evolution of art.
Traces of art and graphic depictions of life can be found dating back to the prehistoric era (BC), where an artistic depiction of cattle was found on the walls of the Lascaux Caves located in France. Since then, art has evolved, developed, and changed in style and form. However, these movements and periods all have a common attribute: art reveals the creativity and flexibility of the human mind.
Renaissance movement (~1300's - 1600's):
One of the most prominent movements of the early art period is the Renaissance art period. Occurring between the Medieval and Mannerism/Baroque art movements, the Renaissance movement first developed in the late 1300’s in Italy, then flourished throughout Europe in the late 1400’s to early 1500’s. Its major characteristics include humanism, anatomy, religious reference, and realism.
Humanism, a philosophy that emphasizes the value and dignity of humans, visually influenced art pieces such as David of Michelangelo. Pieces such as David of Michelangelo and Vitruvian Man by Leonardo da Vinci also depict the influence of anatomy and the study of human body ideals around this movement. Although secularism, the idea of separation from religion, was prominent during the Renaissance era, paintings such as The Creation of Adam display the influence of religious beliefs on art. The Renaissance art movement contrasted drastically against previous movements in the sense that it introduced a realistic style to art, similar to how humans see the world.
Famous artists of this movement include Leonardo da Vinci who created Mona Lisa, The Last Supper, and Vitruvian Man; Michelangelo who sculpted David and painted The Creation of Adam; and Raphael who drew the School of Athens. [1]
Baroque movement (1600's - 1750):
About 300 years after the start of the Renaissance movement, the Baroque period emerged as a new style of painting. Similar to the Renaissance period, the Baroque movement emerged from Italy, specifically, Rome, Italy at the start of the 17th century. The movement spread to parts of Europe and ended in 1750. The Baroque style was unique in the sense that its focal point often revolved around emotions of tension, dramatic scenes, lighting, and rich colors.
Baroque art had a strong appeal to emotion, often depicting scenes of human emotion such as tension or drama. As seen in The Night Watch by Rembrandt, baroque art also had an emphasis on dark scenes with compelling lighting. The movement can be characterized into two major factors: emotional appeal and a sense of richness. These factors were most prominent because of the historical background of the time period.
Famous artists of this movement include Rembrandt who painted The Night Watch; Caravaggio who painted Bacchus, Supper at Emmaus, and Basket of Fruit; and Diego Velázquez who painted Las Meninas. [2]
Impressionism (1860's - 1880's):
The Cliff Walk at Pourville and Woman with a Parasol by Claude Monet
Following the Baroque art movement, Impressionism initially became a popular style in Paris, France in the 1860’s. A group of artists including Monet and Renoir pioneered the movement which lasted until the late 1880’s. The movement was developed based on painting outside, hence the high frequency landscape paintings in the Impressionistic period. Its style can be characterized by the use of small, thin, yet still visible brush strokes which are usually unblended, vibrant yet light colors, and a depiction of light.
The movement first developed as en plein air, or outside, style of art. The most famous impressionist artists including Monet, Sisley, and Renoir pioneered the period by attempting to paint outside. The style uses visible brush strokes and “harsh” brush movements to create an “impressionism” of the landscape. The colors are light, usually avoiding darker tones, which allows for an accurate depiction of light outside. It is considered one of the most popular and influential movements on western art today.
Famous artists of this movement include Monet who painted his Water Lilies art series, Impression, Sunrise, Woman with a Parasol, and many others; Renoir who painted Luncheon of the Boating Party; and Alfred Sisley who painted Bridge at Villeneuve-la-Garenne. [3]
Post Impressionism (1880's - 1910's):
Marked with numerous prominent artists like Vincent Van Gough, Claude Monet, Paul Cézanne, and Pierre-Auguste Renoir, Post Impressionism quickly became an art sensation. As an expansion of Impressionism, the Post Impressionism style developed in the late 1800s and continued into the 1900s.
Besides world renowned names and paintings, Post Impressionism primarily embodies the main characteristics of Impressionistic art while also incorporating different elements, such as geometric forms, spontaneous colors, and distortions.
Similar to Impressionism, Post Impressionism artists also use a thick application of paint and evocative colors to express the real world and natural objects. Paintings are also marked by the small, visible brush strokes artists use. For example, in Vincent van Gogh’s, Starry Night, the artist portrays a night view of an imaginary city from the window of a building. The colors and shapes used in the painting also resemble Post Impressionistic features. Van Gough’s dotted style and expressive colors also help evoke emotion within viewers, a prominent theme in all Post Impressionistic art.
Some examples of Post Impressionism include The Cliff Walk at Pourville by Monet, Café Terrace at Night by Vincent Van Gough, and Luncheon of the Boating Party by Pierre-Auguste Renoir. [4]
Expressionism (1905 - 1933):
Originating in Europe in the early 1900s, artists created Expressionistic art to highlight and evoke emotion within observers. Many painters, such as Edvard Munch and Wassily Kandinsky, centered their paintings around the feelings and emotions they felt at the time. A notable example of this is Edvard Munch’s The Scream (1893), which depicts the anxiety felt by the author as he took an evening walk. [5]
To create dramatic images, Expressionism painters also use distorted shapes and figures with little detail. This effect allows observers of the art to focus on the emotions or ideas the author is trying to convey.
Cubism (1907 - 1920's):
One of the most influential art movements of the 20th century, Cubism, was led by painters Pablo Picasso and Georges Braque. Instead of following traditional methods, the pioneers took on a new approach to portray 3D--geometrical shapes, multiple angles, and distortions. Cubist artists used these techniques to show more perspectives and angles of the same object.
For example, in Pablo Picasso’s Weeping Woman, geometric shapes, vibrant colors, and distortions of a hand and face are used to portray a woman crying. [6]
Abstract movement (1940's - 1950's):
In correspondence to its name, abstract art does not have much literal meaning and is mainly nonrepresentational. Artists use complementary colors, unique shapes, and different textures to create compositions of art. Although the form of art may seem simplistic and unimpressive, abstract art gives artists a chance to their own meaning and theme to a piece.
Current forms of abstract art may vary significantly from the first abstract art pieces. For example, Wassily Kandinsky’s Composition VII has little in common with Maurizio Cattelan’s Art Basel Banana. [7]
Pop (1940's - 1950's):
Pop art emerged in Britain in the mid 1950’s and in the late 1950’s in America. The movement evolved through the 1950's and 60’s; it eventually reached its peak in the 1960’s. The movement utilized more vibrant colors, comic-like style, and objects from advertisement/movies. The two major pop artists that first emerged in America were Roy Lichtenstein and Andy Warhol.
Contrasting from impressionism or expressionism, the style was not focused on realism, instead it took to appeal from vibrant and outstanding design. Often similar to the designs of advertisement or comic books focused on grabbing one’s attention. Pop art was also more open and flexible to people’s conditions because of the nature of the art itself, as ordinary scraps and objects could be structured to create art. This open-minded style heavily influenced today’s art style.
Famous artists of this movement include Roy Lichtenstein who created Crying Girl and Andy Warhol who created Campbell’s Soup Cans, Marilyn Diptych, and Shot Marilyns. [8]
Contemporary (1950's - today):
The Contemporary art period references the “art of today”, meaning the period encompasses art primarily from the 20th and 21st centuries. The movement followed the Pop art movement closely and developed around the 1950’s. Since contemporary art covers from the 1950’s to today, the style is largely undefined and without specific characteristics. The focus of contemporary art is to simply create a modern piece of art with no such distinct features. It is extremely diverse, so it cannot be characterized into an exact set of traits.
Contemporary art encompasses many different style and forms of art including painting, performance, videography, photography, sculptures, and 3D installations. Because of its diversity, the traits and characteristics are not clear-cut.
Famous artists of this movement include Elizabeth Murray who created Do the Dance; Yayoi Kusama who created Yellow Pumpkin and infinity mirror room; and Keith Haring who created Untitled, 1982. [9]
References:
[1] Britannica, T. Editors of Encyclopaedia. "Renaissance art." Encyclopedia Britannica, March 5, 2020. https://www.britannica.com/art/Renaissance-art.
[2]Britannica, T. Editors of Encyclopaedia. "Baroque art and architecture." Encyclopedia Britannica, October 30, 2020. https://www.britannica.com/art/Baroque-art-and-architecture.
[3] Britannica, T. Editors of Encyclopaedia. "Impressionism." Encyclopedia Britannica, March 13, 2020. https://www.britannica.com/art/Impressionism-art.
[4] Britannica, T. Editors of Encyclopaedia. "Post-Impressionism." Encyclopedia Britannica, November 14, 2019. https://www.britannica.com/art/Post-Impressionism.
[5] Britannica, T. Editors of Encyclopaedia. "Expressionism." Encyclopedia Britannica, November 5, 2020. https://www.britannica.com/art/Expressionism.
[6] Britannica, T. Editors of Encyclopaedia. "Cubism." Encyclopedia Britannica, May 12, 2020. https://www.britannica.com/art/Cubism.
[7] Britannica, T. Editors of Encyclopaedia. "Abstract art." Encyclopedia Britannica, December 22, 2015. https://www.britannica.com/art/abstract-art.
[8] Britannica, T. Editors of Encyclopaedia. "Pop art." Encyclopedia Britannica, June 1, 2020. https://www.britannica.com/art/Pop-art.
[9] https://mymodernmet.com/what-is-contemporary-art-definition/
http://www.visual-arts-cork.com/site/art-styles.htm
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