Art Appreciation - Art History

Ancient art

encompasses a variety of creations from early civilizations, from prehistoric times to classical antiquity. It reflects human expression and cultural values throughout history.

Cave art

dating back to around 40,000 years ago, marked the beginning of human art.

Lascaux Cave

in France features paintings of animals, human figures, and abstract symbols, suggesting that early humans used art for communication and connection with their environment.

Cave Media

Artists used natural pigments from ochre, charcoal, and minerals mixed with animal fats or water to create paint, which they applied with primitive tools like twigs or animal hair.

Cave Styles

The artworks feature simple forms, silhouettes, and outlines, often depicting dynamic animals such as bison, horses, and deer, along with hand stencils and geometric patterns.

Cave Purpose

Cave art was likely utilized for hunting rituals and documenting significant events.

Cave Significant Artists

The individual artists remain unknown, but their works reflect a collective cultural effort of early hunters.

Egyptian art

flourished from 3000 BCE to 30 BCE which focused on the afterlife and the divine to honor gods and pharaohs.

Egyptian Media

Artists used stone, wood, metal, and papyrus. Stone was common for sculptures and monuments, wood for smaller artifacts, metal for decorative items, and papyrus for painting and writing.

Egyptian Styles

Egyptian art featured conventions like the hieratic scale, where larger figures indicate higher status. For instance, the Karnak Temple has colossal statues of gods and pharaohs. Figures are often shown in frontal poses, with heads and legs in profile.

Symbolism

is a crucial element, with colors and icons carrying specific meanings, such as green representing fertility and rebirth, as seen in depictions of Osiris and the ankh for life.

Egyptian Purpose

The primary purposes were religious and funerary, with artworks intended for temples or tombs, aiding in the deceased's journey to the afterlife.

Egyptian Significant Artists

While many artists remain unknown, Imhotep was a major architect in ancient Egypt, known for designing the Pyramid of Djoser.

Greek art

from 800 BCE to 30 BCE, influenced Western culture through its emphasis on beauty, humanism, and idealized representations of the human form.

Greek Media

Greek artists primarily used marble, bronze, and pottery. Marble allowed for fine detail in sculpture, while bronze facilitated dynamic poses.

Greek Styles

Greek art is distinguished by naturalism in sculpture. Artists employed Contrapposto to create lifelike figures with a sense of movement and balance.

Greek Purpose

Greek art celebrated human achievement, explored mythology, and honored the gods, often created for public spaces and temples, reflecting civic pride.

Greek Significant Artists

Phidias, renowned for the statue of Zeus at Olympia and Praxiteles, a sculptor known for his more relatable and sensual approach, as seen in the Aphrodite of Knidos (Cnidus).

Roman art

from 500 BCE to 500 CE, is known for its adaptation of Greek influences while emphasizing realism and everyday life, reflecting the complexity of Roman society.

Roman Media

Roman artists utilized marble for sculptures, frescoes for wall paintings, and mosaics for decorative flooring. Marble provided durability and detail, frescoes added vibrant color and narrative depth, and mosaics featured intricate designs using tiny colored stones or glass.

Roman Styles

Roman art is marked by a focus on portraiture, especially in busts that capture individuals' likeness and character, often reflecting age and wisdom.

Roman Purpose

Roman art aimed to convey power, commemorate achievements, and reflect cultural values.

Roman Significant Artists

Many artists remain unknown, but Augustus, the first Roman emperor, contributed to Roman arts by promoting idealized styles and themes of peace.

Medieval art

characterized by its deep influence from the church, focusing primarily on religious themes.

Medieval Media

Artists employed various media, such as illuminated manuscripts, stained glass windows, and sculpture.

Medieval Styles

Medieval art is noted for its flat, symbolic representations, emphasizing outlines and bold colors over realistic proportions.

Medieval Purpose

The primary purposes of medieval art were to educate and inspire religious devotion.

Medieval Significant Artists

Many medieval artists remain anonymous, as individual recognition was less common than in later periods.

Chinese painting

rooted in ancient traditions, emphasized harmony with nature and philosophical concepts.

Asian Media

Traditional works primarily use ink and brush on silk or paper, with ink made from natural materials resulting in a variety of tones.

Asian Styles

The two main styles in Chinese painting are landscape and calligraphy.

Asian Purpose

Chinese painting expresses spiritual and philosophical concepts.

Asian Significant Artist

One of the notable figures was Wang Wei, a Tang dynasty artist known for his artwork, such as in A Solitary Temple Amid Clearing Peaks.

Ukiyo-e

emerged in Japan during the Edo period (1603-1868) and celebrates the beauty of everyday life.

Ukiyo-e Media

Ukiyo-e artists primarily used woodblock printing for mass production.

Ukiyo-e Styles

Ukiyo-e is known for vibrant colors, bold lines, and perspective.

Ukiyo-e Purpose

The primary purpose was to capture fleeting moments in landscapes, kabuki actors, beautiful people (bijin), and scenes from popular stories.

Ukiyo-e Significant Artists

Notable figures include Katsushika Hokusai, famous for The Great Wave off Kanagawa, and Utagawa Hiroshige, known for his landscape series Fifty-Three Stations of the Tōkaidō.