UNIT 2: WESTERN ART HISTORY

LESSON 7: ART IN EARLY CIVILIZATIONS

Stone Age

- is a term used t o describe a period of history when stones were used to make tools for survival.
- The unearthing of archeological artifacts and remains provides modern society a glimpse of the
beliefs, practices, and activities of early civilizations.

Pre-Historic Art

- Archeological explorations reveal that there has been a graduating shift from a nomadic lifestyle
of early humans to that of permanent settlements, paving the way for the rise of early
civilizations.

1. Paleolithic Art – is a product of climate change.

- Artworks can be considered ornamental but there is little evidence to fully back up this notion,
that early humans created these cave paintings for that very purpose. (Record their daily livings)
2. Neolithic Art – has developed especially when life for the early humans has become more
stable.

Egyptian Art

- The Egyptian civilization can be divided into three (3) periods: Old, Middle, and New Kingdoms.
- Looking at the three periods, it can be noticed that for the Egyptians, art should be something
religious and spiritual. (hieroglyphics)
- During the Old Kingdom, it was evident that religion was bound to the afterlife.
- One of the key features of the Middle Kingdom is a shift in the political hierarchy. There is an
emergence of powerful groups of landlords that threatened the authority and rule of the
Pharaoh.
- Because of the internal struggle between these two influential sides, art has taken a back seat
during the Middle Kingdom. In order for art to reemerge and flourish, Egypt needed to have a
more stable situation.
 LESSON 8: ART OF EMERGING EUROPE

Ancient Greece

- The development of the Greek Art can be divided into four periods:

1. Geometric – Geometric Period, was when geometric shapes and patterns have taken the
spotlight in most of the artworks.
2. Archaic – Archaic Period, placed importance on human figures. This was primarily a result of
Greece’s trading activities with other civilizations.
3. Classical – Classical Period, the peak of Greek sculpture and architecture.
4. Hellenistic – The time of Alexander the Great. During this time, art was primarily focused on
showcasing emotions and depicting reality.

Ancient Rome

- The Romans were fond of the Greeks and their achievements in the arts.
- The fusion of Greek and Roman cultures can be seen in most Roman artworks.

Middle Ages

- Since the Church was the most important figure, the most important products of the early
Middle Ages would have to be copies of the Christian scriptures.

Renaissance Art

- During the Renaissance Period, artists value the “individual” as a subject of arts. The influence of
humanism shifted the focus of some artworks during the Renaissance Period to empower the
“individual.”
- Most artworks emphasized naturalism, which was also an influence of humanism since there
was a great emphasis on the proportionality of the human body.
- E.g. Monalisa

Mannerism

- Mannerism was a period in art history, which was a product of the Renaissance Period. During
the Renaissance, artists would observe nature and try their best to emulate it based on their
observations.
 - It is named after “maniera” an Italian term for “style” or “manner,” and refers to a stylized,
exaggerated approach to painting and sculpture.

Baroque and Rococo Arts

- The term “baroque” is derived from the Portuguese term barocco which is translated as
“irregularly shaped pearl.” This is a suitable description that Rome was the birthplace of the
Baroque Period, which according to some historians was a response to Protestantism.

Neoclassicism

- Neoclassicism was a movement in Europe that transpired during the late 18 th and early 19th
centuries. It was the dominant art movement that time which basically aimed to revive and
rekindle the influence of Greek and Roman into art and architecture.

Romanticism

- Romanticism, as an art movement, used the central themes of Neoclassicist artworks as a

springboard. Romanticists have highlighted heroic elements into their work.
- Strongly emphasis on emotion and individualism.
- Characterized by a heightened interest in nature, emphasis on the individual’s expression of
emotion and imagination, departure from the attitudes and forms of classicism, and rebellion
against established social rules.

Realism

- Realism as a style of work focuses on the accuracy of details that depicts and somehow mirrors
reality.
- Realism as a modern movement in art veered away from traditional forms of art.

Impressionism

- The Impressionism movement started in France, which led to a break from the tradition in
European painting.
- Impressionism is a style of painting that emerged in the mid to late 1800s.
- Impressionist artists incorporated scientific principles to achieve a more distinct representation
of color.

Post-Impressionism
 - It is an art movement that emerged in France, which is a result of both the influence and
rejection of Impressionism.
- E.g. The Scream, Starry Night

Neo-Impressionism

- As an art movement, neo-impressionism is considered as a response to empirical realism of

Impressionism.
- Most painters who subscribe to such movement rely on a systematic and scientific techniques
that have a predetermined visual effects not only on the artwork itself but also how the
audience perceive the art.

Art Nouveau

- Between 1890 and 1910, countries from Europe and the United States witnessed the emergence
and flourishing of a new art style.
- This ornamental style of art was a break from the conservative historicism, which was the
prevailing and dominant theme of most Western artworks.

Fauvism

- This is a style of painting that emerged in France around the turn of the 20th century.
- They used pure and vibrant colors by applying straight from the paint tubes directly to the
canvas.
- Which is characterized by strong colors and fierce brushwork.

Cubism

- Between 1907 and 1914, French artists Pablo Picasso and Georges Braque introduced a new
visual arts style called cubism.
- Cubists highlighted the two-dimensional surface of the picture plane.
- The style is characterized by fragment subject matter deconstructed in such a way that it can be
viewed from multiple angles simultaneously.

Futurism

- It is an early 20th century art movement that started in Italy, which highlighted the speed,
energy, dynamism, and power of machines.
- Common themes for works in this movement are restlessness and the fast pace of modern life.
- An Italian art movement that defined modernity as motion, speed, and dynamism.