Art History: Prehistoric and Ancient Near East

• Art uses creative imagination for aesthetic or emotional responses
• Art appears as visual (painting, sculpture, photography), performing (music, dance, theater), and literary (poetry, prose, drama) forms
• Art history studies the development of art within visual, cultural, social, and historical contexts
• Art historians analyze artworks, considering style, technique, subject matter, and historical meaning

Prehistoric Art

• Cave paintings in Lascaux and Altamira are early art examples from tens of thousands of years ago
• These paintings depict animals and hunting scenes, reflecting early human beliefs and daily life
• Megalithic structures like Stonehenge show early humans' ability to construct large monuments for religious or ceremonial uses

Ancient Near Eastern Art

• Mesopotamian art includes ziggurats and sculptures like the Code of Hammurabi stele
• Egyptian art has symbolic, religious aspects, with tombs, hieroglyphs, and pharaoh/god images
• The Palette of Narmer is an early Egyptian artwork showing the unification of Upper and Lower Egypt

Ancient Greek Art

• Greek art emphasized humanism, rationalism, idealism, and perfect human form
• Classical Greek sculpture, like Polykleitos' Doryphoros, showed idealized proportions
• Greek architecture, like the Parthenon, showed balance, harmony, and precision

Roman Art

• Roman art was influenced by Greek art but focused on realism, practicality, and imperial power
• Roman architecture includes the Colosseum and Pantheon, demonstrating arches, vaults, and concrete
• Roman portrait sculpture captured likenesses and conveyed status

Early Christian and Byzantine Art

• Early Christian art came from the Roman Empire, influenced by Roman traditions
• Byzantine art, in Constantinople, featured mosaics, iconic imagery, and hierarchical representations
• Hagia Sophia exemplifies Byzantine architecture with a dome and interior

Medieval Art

• Medieval European art included Romanesque and Gothic styles
• Romanesque architecture had stone structures, rounded arches, and sculptural decoration
• Gothic architecture, like Notre-Dame de Paris, had pointed arches, ribbed vaults, and stained glass

Renaissance Art

• The Renaissance was a "rebirth" of interest in classical art, literature, and philosophy
• Renaissance art focused on humanism, realism, and perspective, produced by artists like Leonardo da Vinci, Michelangelo, and Raphael
• Leonardo da Vinci's Mona Lisa and The Last Supper exemplify Renaissance painting

Baroque Art

• Baroque art featured drama, grandeur, and emotional intensity
• Baroque painting from artists like Caravaggio and Rembrandt used lighting, dynamic compositions, and emotional expression
• Baroque architecture, like the Palace of Versailles, included ornamentation, curves, and theatrical effects

Rococo Art

• Rococo art developed in the 18th century against the formal Baroque style
• Rococo art has lightheartedness, elegance, and ornamental detail
• Rococo painting depicted leisure and romance, with artists like Fragonard and Boucher

Neoclassical Art

• Neoclassical art emerged in the late 18th century against Rococo, inspired by Greek and Roman art
• Neoclassical art emphasized reason, order, and simplicity, exemplified by artists like Jacques-Louis David and Antonio Canova
• Neoclassical architecture, like the United States Capitol, used classical elements

Romanticism

• Romanticism was an artistic and intellectual movement emphasizing emotion, imagination, and individualism
• Romantic painting by artists like Eugène Delacroix and J.M.W. Turner explored nature, history, and human experience
• Romantic literature, music, and art often celebrated the sublime and supernatural

Realism

• Realism emerged in the mid-19th century as a reaction against Romanticism, depicting everyday life
• Realist painting, exemplified by artists like Gustave Courbet and Honoré Daumier, portrayed the world without idealization
• Realist literature, such as novels by Charles Dickens and Gustave Flaubert, explored social issues

Impressionism

• Impressionism originated in France in the late 19th century, capturing fleeting moments
• Impressionist painting, by Claude Monet, Edgar Degas, and Pierre-Auguste Renoir, focused on light, color, and atmosphere
• Impressionist artists painted outdoors (en plein air) to capture light and weather

Post-Impressionism

• Post-Impressionism developed in the late 19th century against Impressionism
• Post-Impressionist artists, such as Vincent van Gogh, Paul Cézanne, and Paul Gauguin, explored emotions and symbolism
• Van Gogh used brushwork and colors, Cézanne emphasized form, and Gauguin explored cultures

20th Century Art

• 20th-century art featured diverse movements, reflecting social and technological changes
• Fauvism, Expressionism, Cubism, Futurism, Dada, Surrealism, Abstract Expressionism, Pop Art, and Minimalism are major movements
• Artists like Pablo Picasso, Henri Matisse, Marcel Duchamp, Salvador Dalí, Jackson Pollock, Andy Warhol, and Donald Judd revolutionized art

Contemporary Art

• Contemporary art is from the late 20th century to the present
• Contemporary art includes painting, sculpture, installation, performance, video, and digital art
• Contemporary artists address social, political, and cultural issues in their work