The evolution of sculpture in ancient Greece is one of the most forthright examples of how art changes with the

times and thoughts of the people. People, the Greeks in particular, were putting themselves in high standing as the
epitome of form and relative celestial importance. There was an obvious transition of their work from the Archaic to
the Classical Period. It became more refined as time passed and this showed me an example of how slow change
produces dramatic effects. Three figures, created over an approximate period of 150 years, show the progress. From
the 580 B.C.E. Kouros to the 525 B.C.E. Kuros from Anavysos to the Doryphorus of 450-440 B.C.E. With the
increasing concern for the self in Greek culture we see a shift happening that is recorded in the attention and
development of their art. Amazing changes began to take place and the sculptures serve as markers for an awakening
of the human consciousness as we can see in later pieces. The naturalism of the sculptures seem to increase
dramatically from the first, where the shoulders are wider than the hips and little detail is given to the chest and arms
to the second, where the chest and stomach are better defined and the hips are better proportioned to the shoulders.
More detail is given to muscle tone and shape in the second sculpture. The final piece is the culmination of decades
and even centuries, of advancing realization in Greek art. We see the style moving into its most refined stages with
hints of more beautiful and awe-inspiring works just over the horizon. One arm is relaxed while the opposite leg is
also. The other leg and arm are tense. The head and hands are in perfect proportion and the figure looks as if it
would move at any time.
High Renaissance refers to the climax of Renaissance art from c. 1500-1525. This was the period when painting
especially reached its peak of technical mastery. Italian art attained the High Renaissance ideal of harmony and
balance within the framework of classical realism, most notably in the work of artists Leonardo DaVinci (14521519), Michelangelo Buonarroti (1475-1564), and Raphael (Raffaello Sanzio) (1483-1520), along with the great
Venetian masters, Titian (c. 1485/90-1576) and Tintoretto (1518-1594). But the finest sculptor of this time would
certainly have been Donatello (1386-1466). It seemed that (with his statue of Saint Mark), for the first time since
classical antiquity and in striking contrast to medieval art, the human body is rendered as a self-activating, functional
organism, and the human personality is shown with a confidence in its own worth.
While many regional expressions of form developed throughout Europe, Romanesque often refers to all works of
this era, including the later Norman variations. The most recognizable feature of these buildings is there
massiveness. In a general sense, it is easy to distinguish such structures from their more slender descendants in the
Gothic era. The Church of San Vitale is made of sliver and gold. The subject matter is two figures of Christ from his
younger years and the other is from his martyrdom. Figures of apostles, animals, and birds are woven into a network
of vines, branches, leaves, and grapes. The Church of San Vitale is found in Ravenna with a brick facing. It is a
centrally planned church with a ground level, gallery, and clerestory. The inside shows Old Testament and New
Testament scenes, symbols, patterns, and imperial portraits. Those are beautiful gold mosaics. The Apse Mosaic is
found in San Vitale. This building is widely espoused as the "prototype Gothic building", but the cathedral is in fact
a mix of different styles and is also extremely conservative in its structure. Built in a relatively short period of time,
it is hailed as a "beautifully unified" building. In reality, there are numerous subtle adjustment and variations in the
details. Gothic sculpture was calmer, grander, and more humane. Most of the early Gothic sculpture was created to
decorate cathedral entrances. Some of the finest examples decorate the west facade of Chartres Cathedral. They
probably portray Bible figures from the Old Testament.
While many religions have made use of figural images to convey their core convictions, Islam has instead used the
shapes and sizes of words or letters. Because Islamic leaders saw in figural arts a possible implication of idolatry,
Islam's early theocracy looked to the artistry of calligraphy for religious expression. In Islamic and Arabic cultures,
calligraphy became highly respected as an art -- the art of writing. The primacy of the word in Islam is reflected in
the virtually universal application of calligraphy. Writing is given pride of place on all kinds of objects--objects of
everyday use as well as entire wall surfaces, mosque furniture, the interiors and exteriors of mosques, tombs, and alKa'ba, the most famous sanctuary of Islam. But like the icons of most other faiths, script also represents power.
Arabic calligraphy is a primary form of art for Islamic visual expression and creativity. Throughout the vast
geography of the Islamic world, Arabic calligraphy is a symbol representing unity, beauty, and power. The aesthetic
principles of Arabic calligraphy are a reflection of the cultural values of the Muslim world. A thorough investigation
into the aesthetic differences between Arabic and non-Arabic calligraphy might provide an approach for
understanding the essential spirit of each culture.
From its inception in ancient India to the present, Buddhism has inspired some of the world's most astounding
artistic creations. The tiny island nation of Sri Lanka off the southeast coast of India has a rich heritage of Buddhism

and Buddhist art. Sri Lanka's role in the dissemination of Buddhism into Southeast Asia and beyond is undisputedly
a major one. Scholars generally agree that after its decline in India after the 6th century, Buddhism remained a vital
force in Sri Lanka, spreading its religious roots and artistic influences across the rest of Southeast Asia. The most
elaborate and well known of the more than 50 magnificent Buddhist monuments that crown the hilltop of Sanchi,
India, is Stupa Number One or the Great Stupa. It is part of an entire complex of structures, mostly stupas, built
between the 3rd Century BCE and the 12th Century AD. The stupa is not a building in any traditional sense. Once a
burial or reliquary mound, the stupa has become a purely symbolic object.
With the fall of the Tang Dynasty, the golden age of China was in decline. Once again, China was divided into five
states. The Five Dynasties (906-960) produced undistinguished artists. However, the period of unrest laid foundation
for the The Song Dynasty (960-1279 A.D.), which reunited China in 906 A.D. The new Song empire was smaller
that its predecessor, the Tang. China's north eastern was still controlled by the Liao, which would succumbed to the
Jin conquerers in 1126, the event forced the Song to vacate its northern capital to the more hospitable south. Thus
began the era of the Southern Song rule. In contrast to the Tang, the Song rulers were introspective; they seek
inspiration from traditional values and shied away from anything foreign. As a result, there was a renewed interest in
Confucianism, Daoism and Buddhism.
Neoclassicists, whose tradition traced back to Greek art and architecture, considered their goal to be the perfection
of humanity, and the consequential subduing of nature. The paintings of the Neoclassicists bear the mark of careful
study in perspective and form, and reflect a world-view that is well ordered and anthropocentric (human-centered).
In landscape, man and the creations of man enjoy the most conspicuous placement, especially those of GrecoRoman architecture or design. In portraiture, its subjects wear the most formal dress and neutral expressions, not
seeking to provoke emotion but to present a clear, rational picture of a person or event. One example of a
Neoclassicist painter is Jacques-Louis David. Naturalism enjoyed renewed popularity in the poems and literature of
the Romantics, which expressed a reverence for nature and an appreciation of her many gifts. Its poets were
Wordsworth, Coleridge, Lord Byron, Keats, Shelley, and Spencer, and among its philosophers were Rousseau, Hegel
and Schopenhauer, they greatly influenced by the writing of Immanuel Kant. The contributions that Romanticism
offered to the practice of portraiture were manifold. Of these, two of its more extraordinary themes are notable: the
complex of the Romantic Hero, a concept that embraced the bold individual who achieved greatness and challenged
the values of his time. One example of a romanticist painter is Antoine-Jean Gros.
In Japan, there has been existed the traditional Japanese arts for a long time. They have formed characteristic culture
under the influences from China. But it is not clear whether we can call them "Art" or not. If you want to call
everything including grotto painting, masks or decoration of daily necessities by the name of "Art", Japanese
traditional architecture, crafts, painting, statues and poem would be of course Art as the Human inheritance.
However, the idea of Art as the universal and perpetual domain of culture is just a fiction invented in European
modernity. In Japan, this cultural project that registers the various esthetic fields into "Art", holds exhibitions, gives
awards of painting or literature, introduces Art into the curriculum of university or collects works of Art in
museums, began after the Meiji Restoration only 126 years ago. In addition to this, it was after World War II that the
museums in the Western meaning not only for collection of historical inheritance but also for raising new cultural
movements were born in Japan. In the development of Japanese modern Art, if limited in painting, there are mainly
three domains, which have been progressing separately. The first domain is called Nihon-Ga, which means basically
traditional Japanese painting but added with some modern sensibilities in it. That has purely Eastern style both in its
materials and methods. But it would better be understood as a simulation of the traditional Japanese paintings.
Another is called Yo-Ga, Western painting, however it has very limited simulation of certain styles of European
painting, for example, Impressionism, Fauvism, Ecole de Paris or Expressionism before World War II. These two
streams were institutionally established and guaranteed before War and they have very powerful influence even now
in the system of Japanese Art. The third is Gendai-Bijutsu -- Contemporary Art --which is much more minor both in
power and in popularity than them. This is the only group, which opens itself toward foreign countries, but they
have no institutional foundation and must rely upon evaluation from abroad.