Historical Movements in European Art: From the Renaissance to the Early 20th Century

Timeline and Core Context: * The period spanned from the 1400s to the 1500s. * The movement was secular in its themes.
Foundational Philosophy: * Focused extensively on antiquity. * Emphasized individualism and humanism. * Concentrated on worldly experiences.
Subject Matter: * Artists often selected mythology as a primary subject. * There was a deep focus on the human form.
Artistic Techniques: * Perspective: The representation of three-dimensional depth on a flat surface. * Chiaroscuro: The use of strong contrasts between light and dark. * Sfumato: The technique of blending colors and tones so subtly that there is no perceptible transition. * Contrapasto: A human figure standing with most of its weight on one foot so that its shoulders and arms twist off-axis from the hips and legs.
Geographic Centers: * The movement was initially centered in Florence. * It later shifted its center to Rome.
Key Artists: * Michelangelo * Da Vinci * Raphael * Titian * Brunelleschi
Patronage: * The Medicis were established as the most important patrons of this movement.

Timeline and Core Context: * The period spanned from the 1400s through the 1500s.
Foundational Philosophy: * The movement was less secular in theme compared to its Italian counterpart. * Focused heavily on salvation and religious piety. * Works were more emotional and often exhibited a preoccupation with death.
Artistic Style and Medium: * Characterized by a high level of detail throughout the paintings, especially within the backgrounds, which exceeded the detail found in Italian Renaissance works. * Used oil paints, which contrasted with the Italian Renaissance's use of tempera.
Geographic Prevalence: * Prevalent in the Low Countries, specifically Flanders. * Prevalent in Germany.
Key Artists: * Jan Van Eyck * Bosch * Brueghel * Durer * Holbein
Patronage: * The Fuggers were the most important patrons of the Northern Renaissance.

Timeline and Core Context: * The movement lasted from 1545 to 1715. * It reflected the ideals of the Catholic Reformation. * Reflected the grandeur associated with absolutism.
Purpose and Impact: * Sought to express the glory and power of the Church in a concrete and emotional way. * Designed to overwhelm the viewer and provoke a strong emotional response.
Artistic Characteristics: * Emphasized grandeur, movement, and spaciousness. * Focused on unity surrounding a specific theme. * High emotional intensity.
Geographic Influence: * Highly influential in Spain, Rome, and the Netherlands.
Key Artists: * Caravaggio * Bernini * Velázquez * Peter Paul Rubens * Artemisia Gentileschi
Defining Architectural Example: * Versailles is cited as the quintessential example of the Baroque style.

Timeline and Core Context: * Occurred during the 1700s. * Developed simultaneously with the Baroque movement.
Geographic Origin: * Arose in France and subsequently spread to Austria.
Audience: * Particularly popular with the nobility.
Stylistic Characteristics: * Defined by extravagance, wealth, and elegance. * Themes were characterized as pleasant and frivolous. * Contrast to Baroque: It directly contrasted the emotional grandeur found in the Baroque movement. * Strictly ornate in its execution.
Key Artists: * Fragonard * Boucher * Watteau

Timeline and Core Context: * Prevalent during the 1700s.
Foundational Philosophy: * Represented a return to classical antiquity.
Artistic Style: * Characterized by a formal and imperial style. * Focused on the imitation of Greek and Roman art.
Geographic and Political Context: * Most prevalent in France under the rule of Napoleon. * Napoleon's portraits were a primary example, as they were designed to call to mind the imagery of the Roman Empire.
Key Artist: * Jacques Louis David is the most important artist of this movement. * His work focused on themes of moral seriousness, honor, and patriotism.

Timeline and Core Context: * Spanned from the 1780s to 1848. * Acted as a reaction against the revolutionary failures of 1848. * Represented a reaction against Enlightenment rationalism.
Foundational Philosophy: * Prioritized emotion and faith over reason. * Asserted that faith was a valid and vital aspect of the human experience. * Encouraged personal freedom and flexibility.
Thematic Focus: * Emphasized the beauty and the tempestuousness of nature. * Idealized the past, with a specific focus on the Medieval Period.
Key Artists: * Delacroix * Turner * Géricault

Timeline and Core Context: * Arose following the failed revolutions of 1848 and the subsequent loss of idealism. * Began in France.
Foundational Philosophy: * Held the belief that art should depict life exactly as it really was.
Subject Matter: * Shifted focus toward ordinary people as the primary subjects of paintings.
Key Figures and Artists: * Gustave Courbet: Coined the term "realism." * François Millet: Known for The Gleaners. * Honoré Daumier: Known for Third-Class Carriage. * Edgar Degas: Known for Women Ironing. * Édouard Manet: Bridged both the Realist and Impressionist movements; is often considered the first modern painter.

Timeline and Core Context: * Took place during the 1800s. * Began in France.
Artistic Objectives: * Artists sought to capture the momentary overall feeling, or the "impression," of light as it fell on a real-life scene directly before their eyes. * Emphasized fleeting and brief moments of light and sudden movement.
Artistic Techniques: * Characterized by short, choppy, and light brushstrokes. * Focused on outdoor scenes.
Key Artists: * Monet * Renoir * Manet * Cezanne

Timeline and Terminology: * Occurred in the late 1800s and early 1900s. * The movement is sometimes referred to as Expressionism.
Artistic Philosophy and Goals: * Exhibited a desire to know and depict worlds beyond the visible world. * Portrayed unseen, inner worlds of emotion and imagination. * Sought to express a complicated psychological view of reality. * Aimed for overwhelming emotional intensity.
Artistic Focus: * Maintained a fascination with form rather than light.
Key Artists: * Van Gogh * Gauguin * Cezanne * Matisse * Picasso
Non-representational Art: * Considered the extremity of the movement. * Associated with the work of Wassily Kandinsky.

Timeline and Core Context: * Spanned from 1915 to 1922. * The name is derived from a nonsensical word, chosen to mirror a post-WWI world that no longer made sense (described as the Age of Anxiety).
Foundational Philosophy: * Attacked all accepted standards of art and behavior. * Delighted in outrageous conduct. * Focused entirely on the absurd.
Mediums and Locations: * Used unconventional mediums. * Popular in Switzerland, New York City (NYC), Paris, and large German cities.
Key Artist: * Duchamp: Famous for his provocative works such as the Mona Lisa with a mustache and the urinal titled Fountain.

Timeline and Core Context: * Emerging in the early 1900s. * Regarded as a type of Post-Impressionism.
Artistic Characteristics: * Defined by a complex geometry consisting of zigzagging lines. * Used sharply angled, overlapping planes. * Sought to portray all perspectives simultaneously, which resulted in a "scrambled" look.
Key Figures and Works: * Developed by Picasso in conjunction with Georges Braque. * First Cubist Masterpiece: Picasso’s Les Mademoiselle d'Avignon.