History of Visual Art

Origins and Early Art

• Earliest Art: 40,000 years ago by Neanderthal ancestors.
• Innate Human Desire: Creating art is as fundamental as eating or loving.
• Art is meant for everyone, not just a luxury.
• Art's Purpose: Evokes emotion, not just limited to framed paintings or statues.
• Cave Paintings & Rock Engravings: Early forms of art for communication.

Prehistoric Art

• "Venus of Willendorf": Small sculpture, possibly a fertility goddess.
• Art reflects survival and symbolic thought, an indication of abstract thinking.

Ancient Art

• Civilizations: Mesopotamia, Egypt, Greece, Persia, China, Rome.
• Role of Art: Enforced religious and political ideologies with symbolic imagery.
• Code of Hammurabi: Example of ancient art with legal and divine imagery.

Medieval Art

• Church Influence: Shift to religious themes as the church gained power.
• Art Characteristics: Less realism, use of gold and jewels to draw people to the church.

Renaissance

• Period of Enlightenment (14th-17th Century): Focus on cultural subjects beyond religion.
• Classical Inspiration: From Ancient Rome and Greece, leading to advancements in art forms.
• Printing Press: Boosted literacy, influencing the cultural explosion.

Baroque and Rococo

• Baroque (17th Century): Emphasis on extravagance and emotion (e.g., Caravaggio).
• Rococo (18th Century): Playful, utopian style with light colors and whimsical narratives.

Neoclassicism

• Renewed Interest: Inspired by discoveries like Pompeii.
• Art Characteristics: Classical subjects, minimal color, and focus on symmetry.

Romanticism

• Focus: Imagination and nature, valuing personal freedom and expression.

Realism

• Anti-Institutional Movement (mid-19th Century): Focused on everyday life and real people.

Impressionism

• Breaking Traditions: Artists like Monet and Degas painted outdoors, focusing on light and movement.

Post-Impressionism

• Extension of Impressionism: More subjective vision with varied styles like Neo-Impressionism.

Expressionism

• Subjective Perspective: Emotional experiences depicting a changing world with vivid colors.

Art Nouveau

• Modernist Movement (late 19th Century): Characterized by sinuous lines and nature-inspired forms.

Cubism

• Founders: Picasso and Braque.
• Characteristics: Abstract forms, showing multiple viewpoints on a flat plane.

Futurism

• Focus: Modernity and technology, rejecting past traditions.

Dada and Surrealism

• Dada: Anti-war, questioning societal norms, satirical art.
• Surrealism: Focus on subconscious, influenced by Freud, political activism.

Bauhaus

• Germany (1920s-30s): Revolutionary school blending art with everyday life.

Abstract Expressionism

• Post-WWII American Movement: Action painters (e.g., Pollock) and color field painters (e.g., Rothko).

Pop Art

• 1950s Britain and America: Inspired by mass media, using bold imagery and colors.

Minimalism

• 1960s US: Focus on literal characteristics, "What you see is what you see."

Contemporary Art

• Art of Today: Diverse, idea-focused, often extending beyond traditional media.

Conclusion

• Art as Reflection: Offers insights into society and future direction.
• Inclusivity: Encourages representation of diverse cultures and influences in art history.

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