Historical

Foundations of
Art
Presented by:
Ailah Nicole D. Tabuzo and Lady Mica Roa
 Introduction
The history of art is the history of any activity or product made
by humans in a visual form for aesthetical or communicative
purposes, expressing ideas, emotions, or in general, a worldview.
Learning the historical foundations of art provides a means by which
we can understand our human past and its relationship to our present.
 Stone Age
30,000 BC - 2500 BC
- was a broad prehistoric period during which stone was widely used
to make tools with an edge, point, or a percussion surface. It was the
era of cave painting.
Lascaux Cave
Lascaux is famous for its
Palaeolithic cave paintings,
found in a complex of caves in
the Dordogne region of
southwestern France, because of
their exceptional quality, size,
sophistication and antiquity.
Estimated to be up to 20,000
years old, the paintings consist
primarily of large animals, once
native to the region.
Venus of Willendorf
Venus of Willendorf is an
important figure in the field of art
history because it is believed to
have been crafted between 30,000
and 25,000 BCE, which means
that it would be one of the
world's oldest known works of
art that have been discovered.
 Mesopotamian
3500 BC - 539 BC
- The early art of Mesopotamia spans the Sumerian, Assyrian,
Akkadian, and Babylonian cultures. This era included many stone
sculptures and narrative reliefs.
Hammurabi’s Code
Hammurabi’s Code is a
collection of 282 rules,
established standards for
commercial interactions and
set fines and punishments to
meet the requirements of
justice.
Standard of Ur
The Standard of Ur is a
Sumerian artifact of the 3rd
millennium BC that is now in the
collection of the British Museum.
It comprises a hollow wooden
box measuring 21.59
centimetres wide by 49.53
centimetres long, inlaid with a
mosaic of shell, red limestone and
lapis lazuli. It comes from the
ancient city of Ur.
 Egyptian
3100 BC - 30 BC
- Is known for its symbolic, stylized, and use a myriad of media to
vividly express their belief systems, wealth, power, and dedication to
history and to life after death.
Colossi of Memnon
Colossi of Memnon are two
massive stone statues of the
Pharaoh Amenhotep III, to
guard the front of the ruined
Mortuary Temple of
Amenhotep III, the largest
temple in the Theban
Necropolis.
 Greek & Hellenistic
850 BC - 31 BC
- The period of early Hellenistic Greek art was one of idealism and
perfection, which was reflected greatly in the era’s architecture and
sculptures.
- The famous styles of Greek Columns were also invented during this
time: Doric, Ionic, and Corinthian
The Parthenon
The Parthenon is a former temple
on the Athenian Acropolis, Greece,
that was dedicated to the goddess
Athena during the fifth century
BC. Its decorative sculptures are
considered some of the high points
of Greek artan enduring symbol of
Ancient Greece, democracy and
Western civilization.
Greek Columns: Doric
Greek column is an architectural
style developed by the ancient
Greek. This style is a significant
part of the Greek orders, which
mainly refers to Doric, Ionic, and
Corinthian orders
- Doric column is the simplest
and oldest style of Greek columns.
It originated in the western Doric
region in Greece
Greek Columns: Ionic
- Ionic columns have a base to
support the shaft. Its capital has
two opposing volutes or scrolls,
which is more fancy compared to
the simple circular capital of Doric
columns.
Greek Columns: Corinthian
- Corinthian columns are probably
the most sophisticated among
three columns. it has a more
elaborated capital, which shows
sculpted acanthus leaves and
scrolls.
 Roman
500 BC - 476 BC
- The art of Ancient Rome includes architecture, painting, sculpture,
and mosaic works.
Pantheon
The Pantheon is famous for being
the most preserved monument
of ancient Rome. It was
constructed as a temple dedicated
to the Gods and became the burial
ground for several important
people including famous artists
and kings.
The Colosseum
The Colosseum is famous for its
magnificent stadia structure
and the brutal history that
unfolded within its confines.
The centre of grim Roman
indulgence, this is where the
emperor, his cohort and the
people of Rome would come to
watch the terrifying gladiator
contents.
Byzantine & Islamic
476 BC - 1453 AD
- This period saw the birth of the Islamic Religion, and structures like
Hagia Sophia, and Alhambra
Hagia Sophia
The Hagia Sophia Grand
Mosque, is a mosque in Istanbul,
Turkey. Originally built by the
eastern Roman emperor
Justinian I as the Christian
cathedral of Constantinople
Alhambra
The Alhambra is a palace and
fortress complex located in
Granada, Andalusia, Spain. It is
one of the most famous
monuments of Islamic architecture
and one of the best-preserved
palaces of the historic Islamic
world, in addition to containing
notable examples of Spanish
Renaissance architecture.
Middle Ages
500 - 1400
- This was the era of Celtic and Gothic art, which saw the rise of
intricate gothic cathedrals
Notre Dame
Notre-Dame de Paris, also
called Notre-Dame Cathedral,
cathedral church in Paris. It is the
most famous of the Gothic
cathedrals of the Middle Ages
and is distinguished for its size,
antiquity, and architectural
interest.
 Early &
High Renaissance
1400 - 1550
- The word “Renaissance” is a French term meaning rebirth, which is exactly what
the Renaissance movement was. It was a cultural rebirth of art, literature, and
intellect after a vast period of darkness, diseases, and war
David
The Statue of David embodies
the city of Florence, symbolizing
independence and strength in the
perfect image of youthful beauty.
Michelangelo's David took on
new meaning shortly after its
creation as both a symbol of the
Renaissance and a representation
of the city itself.
The Last Supper
The painting of Leonardo da
Vinci represents the scene of the
Last Supper of Jesus with the
Twelve Apostles, as it is told in
the Gospel of John – specifically
the moment after Jesus announces
that one of his apostles will betray
him.
Saint Mark
Donatello's Saint Mark is a
marble statue that stands
approximately seven feet and
nine inches high and is displayed
in the museum of the
Orsanmichele church, Florence.
It originally was displayed in an
exterior niche of the church,
where a copy now stands.
Venetian & Northern Renaissance
1430 - 1550
- During this era, the Renaissance movement spread from Italy to France,
Germany, Poland, and other northern European countries. Bellini, Jan van Eyck,
Bosch, and other artists reigned during this time.
The Agony in the Garden
The Agony in the Garden is an
early painting by the Italian
Renaissance master Giovanni
Bellini, who painted it around
1459–65. It is in the National
Gallery, London. It portrays
Christ kneeling on the Mount of
Olives in prayer, with his
disciples Peter, James and John
sleeping near to him.
The Annunciation
The Annunciation is an oil
painting by the Early
Netherlandish master Jan van
Eyck, from around 1434–1436.
The Annunciation symbolizes the
transition from the Old into the
New, symbolizes the coming of
the new age, the age of Grace,
when Jesus Christ will be born.
Death and the Miser
Bosch’s Death and The Miser is
a memento mori painting, which
is meant to remind the viewer of
the inevitability of death and the
futility of the pursuit of material
wealth, illustrating the sin of
greed.
 Baroque
1600 - 1750
- The Baroque was a highly religious era that overlapped the Thirty Years War
between the Protestants and the Catholics. Baroque artists like Rembrandt and
Caravaggio were well known during this time for the tense, moody, and extremely
dramatic style of their work, reflected in lighting techniques and subject matter.
The Night Watch
The painting was controversial
not because of its subject, but
because of the way Rembrandt
depicted the group's members.
Rather than giving each of them
equal prominence, he created the
painter's equivalent of a snapshot:
a group of militiamen who have
just moved into action and are
about to march off.
Narcissus
Caravaggio's Narcissus is an
exemplary showcase of his
tenebrism, the strong contrast
between very dark and very
bright spaces in a painting.
Caravaggio uses this to entirely
obscure the background. In this
painting, there is nothing but
Narcissus and his reflection,
highlighting the obsessive focus
of the youth.
Palace of Versailles
The Palace of Versailles is an
opulent complex and former
royal residence outside of Paris.
It has held sway in the public
imagination for years because of
its architectural grandeur and
political history.
 Neoclassical
1750 - 1850
- The Neoclassical era toned down the extremity of Baroque while still capturing the
grace and aesthetic perfection of Greco-Roman art periods. It was likely, the
overlapping Age of Enlightenment, which saw another turn towards the scientific
over the religious.
The Death of Marat
The painting of Jacques-Louis
David depicts Marat in the final
moments of his life, shortly after
being stabbed. The Death of
Marat immortalized Marat as a
martyr and hero of the people,
and rapidly became an iconic
image of the French Revolution.
The Vow of Louis XIII
The Vow of Louis XIII is an
1824 painting by Jean-Auguste-
Dominique Ingres, now in
Montauban Cathedral. The oil
painting shows a vow to the
Virgin Mary by Louis XIII of
France. It was commissioned by
France's Ministry of Interior in
August 1820 for the cathedral of
Notre-Dame in Montauban.
 Romanticism
1780 - 1850
- Romanticism saw an emphasis on the self, as well as a rejection of the kind of order
that the Enlightenment had imposed in favor of a more chaotic approach to life. This
took place during the American Revolution and the French Revolution, and saw its
crowning artists across a host of different countries.
Liberty Leading the People
Characterised by its allegorical
and political significance, this
large oil on canvas made by
Eugène Delacroix has become a
universal symbol of liberty and
democracy. Often used in
popular culture to symbolise
people's emancipation from
oppressive domination, it is one
of the most famous paintings in
Art History.
The Burning of the Houses of Lords and
Commons
The Burning of the Houses of
Lords and Commons is the title
of two oil on canvas paintings by
J. M. W. Turner, depicting
different views of the fire that
broke out at the Houses of
Parliament on the evening of 16
October 1834. They are now in
the Philadelphia Museum of Art
and Cleveland Museum of Art.
He made sketches using both
pencil and watercolour
The Raft of the Medusa
The Raft of the Medusa depicts a
dramatic moment and all emotions
human beings can feel in such a
situation: fear, pain, hope, madness.
To do this painting Géricault
studied for a long time the effects of
the refraction of light on human
body, and for this reason he drew a
lot of preparatory sketches.
 Realism
1848 - 1900
- Realism was the first movement to finally reject all the drama, intensely exaggerated
emotion, and grandeur of other art styles for a more grounded approach to human
nature. The working class ruled the era of Realism, at least as far as art went.
Common folks' lives were pictured there, and all the mundane experiences and
struggles that characterize life. Famous artists include Courbet and Millet.
The Wounded Man
The Wounded Man is an 1844–1854
self-portrait by Gustave Courbet.
Courbet is painted himself in a
romantic theme as a suffering heroic
man. Originally, there was a woman
leaning on the artist's shoulder. She has
been replaced by a sword at the end of
a love affair, in 1854. He also added a
red bloodstain on his shirt.
The Gleaners
The Gleaners is an oil
painting by Jean-François
Millet completed in 1857. It
depicts three peasant women
gleaning a field of stray
stalks of wheat after the
harvest.
 Impressionism
1865 - 1885

- Impressionism might have been one of the first purely aesthetic art periods, a style
focused on capturing a visual phenomenon rather than an intensely political or
religious one. Impressionism rejected dated techniques that dictated form and order,
and painted freely. Their works were like impressions of scenes and people, hence
the name. Painters like Monet Manet, and Cassatt were known during this time.
Impression, Sunrise
Impression, Sunrise is an 1872
painting by Claude Monet first
shown at what would become
known as the "Exhibition of the
Impressionists" in Paris in
April, 1874. The painting is
credited with inspiring the name
of the Impressionist movement.
Impression, Sunrise depicts the
port of Le Havre, Monet's
hometown.
Music in the Tuileries
Music in the Tuileries is an
1862 painting by Édouard
Manet. It is owned by the
National Gallery, London and
the Hugh Lane Gallery, Dublin
as part of the shared Lane
Bequest
Little Girl in a Blue Armchair
Little Girl in a Blue Armchair
is an 1878 oil painting by the
American painter, printmaker,
pastelist, and connoisseur Mary
Cassatt. It is in the collection of
the National Gallery of Art,
Washington D.C. Edgar Degas
made some changes in the
painting
 Post-Impressionism
1885 - 1910

- an art style that maintained its philosophy -a rejection of traditional art rules and
its focus on perfection - but also rejected its supposed limitations. Post-
impressionism carried on Impressionism's freestyle and unrestricted brush
techniques, but applied it to more common scenes, and also painted forms rather than
just impressions. Notable post-impressionists include Rousseau, Toulouse-Lautrec,
and Van Gogh.
The Snake Charmer
The Snake Charmer is a 1907
oil painting by French Naïve
artist Henri Rousseau. It is a
depiction of a woman with
glowing eyes playing a flute in
the moonlight by the edge of a
dark jungle with a snake
extending toward her from a
nearby tree.
At the Moulin Rouge
At the Moulin Rouge is an oil-
on-canvas painting by French
artist Henri de Toulouse-
Lautrec. It was painted between
1892 and 1895. Included in the
background is a self-portrait of
the artist in profile.
The Starry Night
The Starry Night is an oil-on-
canvas painting by the Dutch
Post-Impressionist painter
Vincent van Gogh. Painted in
June 1889, it depicts the view
from the east-facing window of
his asylum room at Saint-Rémy-
de-Provence, just before sunrise,
with the addition of an
imaginary village.
 Fauvism & Expressionism
1900 - 1935
- Expressionism and its cousin Fauvism were partially products of wartime. It
flourished during and after the first World War with its harsh colors, bold
shapes, and often it’s disturbing emotional content. Matisse, a Fauvist painter,
usually kept things very light. Then there was German expressionism, influenced
highly by the disturbing works of Edvard Munch (who was Norwegian) and Egon
Schiele.
Woman with a Hat
Woman with a Hat is a painting
by Henri Matisse. An oil on
canvas, it depicts Matisse's wife,
Amelie. It was painted in 1905
and exhibited at the Salon
d'Automne during the fall of the
same year, along with works by
André Derain, Maurice de
Vlaminck and several other
artists known as "Fauves"
The Scream
The Scream is the popular name
given to a composition created
by Norwegian artist Edvard
Munch in 1893. The agonized
face in the painting has become
one of the most iconic images of
art, seen as symbolizing the
anxiety of the human
condition.
Portrait of Wally
Portrait of Wally is a 1912 oil
painting by Austrian painter
Egon Schiele of Walburga
"Wally" Neuzil, a woman whom
he met in 1911 when he was 21
and she was 17. She became his
lover and model for several
years, depicted in a number of
Schiele's most striking paintings
 Cubism, Futurism, Supremativism,
Constructivism, De Stijl
1905 - 1920
- This era saw shapes, abstract objects, and highly deconstructed renders of
landscapes and other things used as a means of expression, rather than
traditional techniques seen before. This was a bold period for art, and saw talents
like Picasso leading the way.
The Old Guitarist
The Old Guitarist is an oil
painting by Pablo Picasso, which
he created in late 1903 and early
1904. It depicts an elderly
musician, a haggard man with
threadbare clothing, who is
hunched over his guitar while
playing in the streets of Barcelona,
Spain.
 Dada & Surrealism
1917 - 1950
- Dada and surrealism rejected so much of traditional art that it dived into absurdism.
Elements of dreams and the subconscious were explored with this style, as well as
wartime horrors (it overlapped World War II and the atomic bombings of Japan). The
Dadaists meant to subvert classical ideas of expression, as well as question what art
itself even means. This is captured perfectly in Marcel Duchamp's piece, Fountain,
which was just a porcelain urinal he found, signed, and entered into an art exhibition.
Notable surrealists include Dali and Magritte.
Fountain
Fountain is a readymade sculpture by
Marcel Duchamp in 1917, consisting
of a porcelain urinal signed "R. Mutt".
Duchamp stated they are "everyday
objects raised to the dignity of a work
of art by the artist's act of choice." In
Duchamp's presentation, the urinal's
orientation was altered from its usual
positioning.
The Persistence of Memory
The Persistence of Memory is a
1931 painting by artist Salvador
Dalí and one of the most
recognizable works of Surrealism.
The Persistence of Memory contains
a self-portrait over which is draped a
'soft watch'. For Dali, these 'soft
watches' represent what he called
the 'camembert of time', suggesting
that the concept of time had lost all
meaning in the unconscious world.
The False Mirror
The False Mirror is a surrealist oil
painting by René Magritte that depicts
a human eye framing a cloudy, blue sky.
In the depiction of the eye in the
painting, the clouds take the place
normally occupied by the iris. The
painting's original French title is Le
faux miroir. The False Mirror is
widely acknowledged to represent the
limitations of human vision. A mirror
reflects what is places before it,
whereas the eye is subjective, it filters
and processes those images that it
wishes to see.
 Pop-Art
1950s - 1960s

- Pop art is an art movement that emerged in the United Kingdom and the United States
during the mid- to late-1950s. The movement presented a challenge to traditions of
fine art by including imagery from popular and mass culture, such as advertising,
comic books and mundane mass-produced objects.
Shot Marilyns
Shot Marilyns is a series of
silkscreen paintings produced in
1964 by Andy Warhol, each
canvas measuring 40 inches
square, and each a portrait of
Marilyn Monroe.
 Post-Modernism &
Deconstructivism
1970
- Postmodern art is a body of art movements that sought to contradict some aspects
of modernism or some aspects that emerged or developed in its aftermath.
- Deconstructivism is a movement of postmodern architecture which appeared in the
1980s. It gives the impression of the fragmentation of the constructed building,
commonly characterised by an absence of obvious harmony, continuity, or
symmetry.
Post-Modernism
Deconstructivism
 Neo-Expressionism
1980s
- Neo-expressionism is a style of late modernist or early-postmodern painting and
sculpture that emerged in the late 1970s. Neo-expressionists were sometimes called
Transavantgarde, Junge Wilde or Neue Wilden. It is characterized by intense
subjectivity and rough handling of materials.
Untitled
Untitled is a painting created by
American artist Jean-Michel
Basquiat in 1982. The artwork,
which depicts a skull, is among
the most expensive paintings
ever purchased