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30,000 BCE
Cave Drawings
The oldest accounts of human history, before written records existed, early drawings found on cave walls. -
3000 BCE
Ancient Egypt
Ancient Egypt was a civilization of ancient North Africa, concentrated along the lower reaches of the Nile River, situated in the place that is now the country Egypt. They are known for their hieroglyphics. -
1100 BCE
Ancient Greece
The term Ancient, or Archaic, Greece refers to the years 700-480 B.C., not the Classical Age (480-323 B.C.) known for its art, architecture and philosophy. -
400
Middle Ages
the period in European history from the collapse of Roman civilization in the 5th century CE to the period of the Renaissance (variously interpreted as beginning in the 13th, 14th, or 15th century, depending on the region of Europe and other factors). -
1500
Renaissance
The Renaissance was a period in European history marking the transition from the Middle Ages to Modernity and covering the 15th and 16th centuries. -
Baroque Period
Named after barroco, a Portuguese term for an irregularly-shaped pearl, the Baroque period is defined by the grandeur and opulence of its art and architecture. With roots in Rome, the movement spread across Italy and other European countries between 1600 and 1750, becoming particularly popular in France, Spain, and Austria. -
Rococo Period
Rococo, style in interior design, the decorative arts, painting, architecture, and sculpture that originated in Paris in the early 18th century but was soon adopted throughout France and later in other countries, principally Germany and Austria. It is characterized by lightness, elegance, and an exuberant use of curving natural forms in ornamentation. -
Impressionism
Impressionism was a radical art movement that began in the late 1800s, centered primarily around Parisian painters. Uniting them was a focus on how light could define a moment in time, with color providing definition instead of black lines. The Impressionists emphasized the practice of plein air painting, or painting outside. It
is one of the most popular and influential art styles in Western history. -
Cubism
Cubism is an early-20th-century avant-garde art movement that revolutionized European painting and sculpture, and inspired related movements in music, literature and architecture. Cubism has been considered the most influential art movement of the 20th century. Pablo PIcasso was a famous artist associated with this movement. -
Fauvism
Fauvism, style of painting that flourished in France around the turn of the 20th century. Fauve artists used pure, brilliant color aggressively applied straight from the paint tubes to create a sense of an explosion on the canvas.