art history 100 timeline

Pyramid complexes at Giza, Egypt, 2600-2500 BCE

2600 BCE

The shape of the pyramids was intended to give the illusion of sun rays. In the complex, there was the main pyramid, the queen's pyramid, and the upper or mortuary temple.

Triad portrait with King Menkaure (Mycerinus), 2490–2472 BCE, greywacke (stone). Museum of Fine Arts, Boston

2490 BCE

This triad shows Hathor(middle), Wenut(left), and Mycerinus(right). Hathor is the central figure and the largest representing her divinity. By creating similar side profiles to Hathor, the artist demonstrates a between Mycerinus and Hathor, displaying the right to rule. This sculpture displays iconography of Egyptian kingships such as Nemes headdress, ceremonial beard, pleated kilt, emblematic staff, and an ideal body with correct proportions.

The Parthenon (Temple to Athena Parthenos), Athens, Greece, 447-432 BCE

447 BCE

The Parthenon was built between two major events; the war against Persia and the war against Sparta. The Greeks were polytheistic and many cities had a patron deity (Athens=Athena). The building followed the doric order with simple columns with no base at the bottom. There were friezes with triglyphs and metopes. It also followed the post and lintel structure, so the building limits were confined by how heavy the marble was. The pediments showcased events from the life of Athena.

Battle of Lapith and Centaur, metope, marble, British Museum

447 BCE

This metope is from the south side of the Parthenon and is 5.5 ft tall. It is a display of civilization versus savagery. Lapith, ancestors of the greeks, is shown in the nude and is about the kill the centaur. The composition of the metope is very balanced and the figure is in contrapposto.

Goddesses, east pediment, marble, British Museum

438 BCE

This sculpture comes from the east pediment of the Parthenon. It shows three goddesses that have some degree of familiarity with leaning on each other. The drapery of the clothes forms to the figures representing feminity.

Doryphoros (Roman copy after Greek original by Polykleitos, 440 BCE), marble, 120-50 BCE

120 BCE

This scupture is a Roman copy of a Greek sculpture. When the Romans conquered the Greeks, Greek art become a subject of desire, which lead to many copies of Greek art being made. This subject represents the ideal human body with proportional parts of the body. Polykleitos, meaning canon, showed that this figure was to be idealized, studied, and replicated.

The Great Departure, East torana of Great Stupa at Sanchi, 25 BCE-25 CE

25 BCE

The Great Supta at Sanchi is one of the oldest stone structures in India. It is surrounded by four elaborate and ornamental toranas(gates). The Great Departure depicts an event in the life of Buddha, where he left the palace walls he was raised in and become enlightened. This Torana has continuous narration that goes from left to right. The horse shows the passage of time. The parasol is anconic representation of Buddha. The pair of footprints at the shows the worship of Buddha.

Torso of a Yakshi, Great Stupa at Sanchi, 25 BCE-25 CE

25 BCE

This sculpture was originally located at the Great Supta in Sanchi but was looted and taken to Britain. The Yakshi is an auspicious female figure related to fertility. This can be seen in the sculpture with the emphasis on the hips and the hourglass figure.

Hagia Sophia, Istanbul, Turkey, 537

537

The inspiration behind the Hagia Sophia was the previous roman structures like basilicas. It has a dome structure and builds off of new roman techniques, such as making arches with a keystone and the use of concrete with marble coating. The Hagia Sophia was made to surprise with the first layer having enclosed white barrel vaults, then the next had lots of mosaics, and then it opened to the central space with a dome, supported by pendentives, that was very open. The altar is in the center.

Mosque-Cathedral of Córdoba, Spain, 784–987

784

This Mosque has tiered double arches, taken and resued from Greek and Roman arches. The Mosque also has bichrome archways and polychrome mosaics, which were Bystaninze. This Mosque's Qibla wall does not face Mecca as the Umayyad has been exiled and orientated mosques in this direction could be turning back on the old dynasty. The structure plays with light and its relation with the divinity as the reflectiveness stands out with all the shadows. The central part is the cathedral.

Virgin and Child (theotokos), glass mosaic, apse of Hagia Sophia, 9th century

800

This mosaic is believed to be a reconstruction an earlier mosaic destroyed during Iconoclasm. Theotokos is located at the top of a top in the Hagia Sophia. The mosaic is surrounded by windows below which make it seem like she is floating. The gold paint also represents the divinity of theotokos.

Watermill (disputed authorship), 970, Shanghai Museum, Shanghai

970

This painting is a display of power over natural and technical landscapes and serves the interest of the emperor. The narrative of this painting can be seen from right to left. Wheat can be seen being processed, washed, going to the mill, and becoming flour, then dried, bagged, and shipped off. There is a hierarchy of people from top to bottom with the scholars at the top. This painting displays an image of industrial power and the Song dynasty industrialization.

Guo Xi, Early Spring, 1072, National Palace Museum, Taipei

1072

This painting by Guo Xi is considered to be a formal depiction of nature. The trees do not have many leaves and the waterfall is flowing indicating it is early spring. This painting moves from mundane to overarching with its bottom to top narrative. At the lower plane, minuscule figures can be seen doing everyday activities such as getting food and water. In the middle plane, there is a monastery. At the peak, the looming clouds and mountains can be seen as taller than life.

Liang Kai, Poet Strolling on a Marshy Bank, 1200, Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York

1200

This painting by Liang Kai is from the Southern Song Dynasty and while also a landscape painting like Guo Xi's Early Spring, this is much more minimal with its use of negative space. There is a similar S-shaped motif. As this painting was done on a fan, it seems much more intimate as compared to the larger-than-life painting that is Early Spring.

Artist unknown, Hispano-Islamic basin, 1425-50, tin-glazed earthenware. Hispanic Society, NYC

1425

This basin has blue and gold patterning and a motif of oranges along its sides. In the 13th century, there was the Reconquista of Islamic Spain. However, influences can still be seen in architecture and artwork such as this one.

Triad plaque depicting the Oba flanked by two assistants, Benin, 16th or 17th century, bronze. British Museum

1500

This plaque was part of the Oba's palace where there were over 900 of them before the palace was looted. The central figure is the Oba and he is flanked by his assistants. There is a clear hierarchy of scale as the Oba is bigger than all other figures even sitting down. The figures at the top of the plaque are the Portuguese, who the Benin traded with for brass/bronze. The Oba is wearing a coral necklace, a reference to his ability to traverse different worlds.

Hip pendant in the form of a woman’s face, perhaps Queen Mother Idia, mother of Oba Esigie (c. 1504-50), Benin, 16th century, ivory. British Museum

1504

This pendant would be worn on the hip of the Oba, as the Oba would not be able to see their mother after being crowned. A long slender face with large eyes can be assumed to be the ideal of beauty to Benin. The choice of Ivory is unique as ivory is bone, therefore ages like human skin does. The headdress of the mask has Portuguese and salamanders on it, representing Benin's trade with the Portuguese and their power over them.

Maker unknown, Screen showing The Conquest of Mexico (front) and View of Mexico City (back), Mexico, oil on canvas on wooden frame, late 1600s

1600

The biombo was a “treasure” and was often given as diplomatic gifts in Spain. Like this one, they often represented scenes but were not documentary, but rather more imaginative. For example, Montezuma is dressed unlike what an Aztec would wear and is clothed in something that more resembles the Holy Roman Emperor. He is also depicted in the Allocution pose. The architecture is also not what one would expect being in a European style.

Chitarman, Shah Jahan on a Terrace, Holding a Pendant Set With His Portrait, page (folio) from the Shah Jahan Album, 1627-28, watercolor, ink and gold on paper. Met, NYC

1627

This miniature is a display of power and authority. The parted clouds and Chebrub-like figures all display his power. Shan Jahan is painted very stiffly, showing his stability as a ruler. His clothing is ornate and he is encrusted with jewels displaying wealth. This miniature also shows cultural hybridity in a political sense with Hindu, Islamic, and Christain motifs. For example, the golden sun halo is reminiscent of Christian saints.

Diego Velázquez, Las Meninas, 1656, oil on canvas. Prado, Madrid

1656

This painting plays on the idea of space and perspective. In the middle of the piece, the Infanta can be seen attended to by maids. On the right, a dwarf and a dog can be seen. On the left, the painter can be seen in the process of painting, what we assume to be the parents of Infanta who are reflected in the back mirror looking over their daughter.

Willem Kalf, Still Life with a Chinese Bowl, Nautilus Cup and Other Objects, 1662, oil on canvas. Museo Nacional Thyssen-Bornemisza, Madrid

1662

After 80 years of war, the Dutch do not have to pay taxes anymore, which leads to the rise of the middle class. The middle class often commissioned paintings that were generally smaller and showed the material culture from abroad. For example, this painting is loaded with references to overseas trade. Items such as a nautilus shell cup, blue and white porcelain, carpet and oranges can all be seen.

Frans Post, View of Olinda, Brazil, 1662, oil on canvas. Rijksmuseum, Amsterdam.

1662

The Dutch desire for foreign objects also transcended to art. Artists such as Post catered to a Dutch audience that wanted paintings of colonial Brazil. There is exaggerated fauna and animals. A lizard, sloth, monkey, snakes, and multiple birds can be seen in the foreground of this painting making it very unrealistic.

Unknown, Portrait of a Lady (copy of a European painting), 18th century, ink, opaque watercolor, and gold on paper. Harvard Art Museums

1700

European prints were prized at Mughal courts and rulers often order artists to copy them. However, this painting stands out from other copies as it selectively chooses elements to imitate. The 3/4th profile view makes this miniature unique from others such as Shah Jahan on a Terrace, Holding a Pendant Set With His Portrait and Prince and Ladies in a Garden where only side profiles are used.

Nidha Mal, Prince and Ladies in a Garden, ca. 1735-75, ink, watercolor and gold on paper. Met, NYC

1735

This painting shows a prince and his consort participating in leisure activities. They are smoking while attended by multiple ladies and in a walled-off garden. foreground mid and back western grounding

Maker unknown, Tea table, Boston, mahogany and white pine, 1745–65. Winterthur Museum

1745

This turret-top tea table is a notable piece of Early American furniture. This style of tea table originated in Boston, likely created in influence by British tea culture which followed into colonial America.

Maker unknown, Pharmacy jar, Puebla, Mexico, tin-glaze earthenware, c. 1750. Davis Museum

1750

This jar is an imitation of blue and white porcelain that was made in Mexico. It represents the local art attempts to Mexicanize the Chinese porcelain tradition with the addition of Mexican motifs into the work. While the crane and chrysanthemums are distinctly Chinese motifs, there is a cactus on the jar that is uniquely Mexican. There is also an Alafia pattern, which has a Muslim origin on the jar. This shows the Islamic legacy of Spain carried over to post-conquest new Spain.

Maker unknown, Bedcover (colcha) with image of Fame, wool and cotton embroidery on wool, Mexico, 1775-1825. Denver Art Museum

1775

Textiles were representative of currency as they were used to trade with others. This bedcover is representative of globalization and the movement of people as the design is Asian, the embroidery is done in a Turkish style, and there is a European allegory of fame in the middle. And all of this appears in a textile made in Mexico. In the 1700s, art was created that showed the influence of globalization and the trade on cultures, symbols, and ideas.

Kitagawa Utamaro, Midorigi of the Wakamatsuya, from the series Collection of Courtesans Arranging Flowers during the Five Festivals, c. 1805, woodblock print. Davis Museum

1805

This print is ukiyo-e art and is representative of the tradition of the subjects of painting to be women. This print like others also shows activities in landscape settings with attention to fashion. In this print, Midori is practicing ikebana or flower arrangement. The idealized face and body features are common across ukiyo-e prints, making it hard to identify the woman if there is no flower crest that gives their identity away.

Jean-Auguste-Dominique Ingres, La Grande Odalisque, 1814, oil on canvas. Louvre

1814

This painting follows orientalist conventions, such as being in a relaxed state and not during much and the appearance of a pipe and fan. There are lush material goods surrounding the woman, who is posed in a rather artificial state. Her spine appears elongated and unnatural and while she is unclothed, she is wearing jewelry. The painting portrays her as seductive but still in control as she limits what is being seen by others with deliberate posing.

Unidentified Artist(s) of the Igbesanmwan Carvers Guild, Tusk for memorial altar to Oba Osemwende, c. 1851-88. Davis Museum

1851

Tusks are used in the Benin culture as a memorial altar for the past Obas. These tusks were placed on top of the head of the Oba and showed the life of the Oba. The tusks can be read from bottom to top and symbolism such as birds and salamanders can be seen.

Asher B. Durand, Progress, 1853, oil on canvas. Virginia Museum of Fine Arts, Richmond

1853

Durand shows "Progress" in his painting from left to right. Beginning with Native Americans in the foreground, one's eyes then move to the white settlers in the midground. Finally, one notices the industrial city in the background. This painting shows many themes such as industrialization, deforestation, Native American policies, and more.

Édouard Manet, Olympia, 1863, oil on canvas. Musée d’Orsay, Paris

1863

This painting shows two women, Olympia who is a prostitute, and Laura who is working for her. Olympia is wearing a black ribbon, bracelet, and shoes, but is otherwise unclothed. She stares directly at the viewer, unbashful. This painting quotes Venus of Urbino with the pose. However, it also subverts it. This cat is in an aggravated state and is the opposite of the symbol of faithfulness, which is the dog in the Venus of Urbino and is a display of deviousness.

Tiffany & Co., Teapot, c. 1880, silver, copper, ivory, and jade. Met, NYC

1880

The fact that western art and design changed in response to Japanese art can be seen with this teapot. This teapot was inspired by Japanese taste and has asymmetrical compositions with fish and reptiles. Goods inspired by Japanese aesthetics were very popular among the masses.

Vincent Van Gogh, Père Tanguy, 1887-88, oil on canvas. Rodin Museum, Paris

1887

This painting by Van Gogh follows impressionism with visible brushstrokes and contrast. However, influence from Japanese ukiyo-e prints can also be seen. The desire for Japanese prints was common to Europeans as Japan used to be closed off. These prints can be seen background as colorful ukiyo-e prints are displayed behind Père Tanguy. Landscape prints such as Mount Fiji and prints of courtesans can be seen.

Mary Cassatt, In the Omnibus, 1890-91, drypoint and aquatint. Met, NYC

1890

The the19th-century impressionists were influenced by Japanese ukiyo-e printing and this can also be seen in Cassatt's work. For example, flat colors were employed in Yukiyo-e prints and Cassatt also uses these flat colors in her work, In the Omnibus. Ukiyo-e prints also depicted women engaged in everyday activities. Likewise, this piece by Cassatt shows women riding a city bus over a bridge.

Edward Curtis, In a Piegan Lodge (Little Plume and son Yellow Kidney), original and edited version of photograph, c. 1910. Library of Congress (in Meier)

1910

This photograph is showing the idea of salvage anthropology, which is the idea of depicting culture stemming from the belief that they were dying. This photograph was taken during the time of the erasure and removal of Native Americas. The edited version of the photograph takes out the clock which makes it seem like the Native Americans were stuck in the past outside the narrative of progress.

Marcel Duchamp, Fountain, 1917 (replica 1964), ceramic urinal with paint. Tate Modern, London

1917

This concept of a readymade or found object is when something foundis then recontextualized considered as an art form. This calls into question what makes something art; what makes museum art better than this crafted object. This concept comes out of dadaism, In this readymade, Duchamp turns a urinal upside down and calls it a fountain. He tries to get the audience to question authority and their own values. The outrage of values being questioned makes one question why is it immoral.

Mies van der Rohe and Lilly Reich, Barcelona Chair, 1929, steel and leather

1929

This chair's design is characteristic of Rohe's architecture which is elegant and minimalistic. This chair was designed for the German Pavilion in 1929. The chair has focal point formed by the chair's back and front legs crossing each other. This shape has a precedent, from ancient Egyptian folding stools.

Mies van der Rohe, German Pavilion for the International Exposition, Barcelona (now known as the Barcelona Pavilion, 1929

1929

Rohe's German Pavillion is a modernist building. Modernist architecture originated in Europe but became championed by newly post-colonial states, which wanted to look to the future through new buildings. This pavilion was supposed to represent a new Germany that was progressive and prospering. A few modern elements such as the flat roof, minimal colors, exposed support and a simple form can be spotted.

Piet Mondrian, Composition with Red, Blue, Yellow, and Black, 1929, oil on canvas. Guggenheim Museum

1929

Mondrian called this genre of painting Neo-Plasticism. He uses black, white, and the primary colors in his grid-like composition. This style was made postwar when common visiual aesthetics were being referenced.

Jackson Pollock, Autumn Rhythm (Number 30), 1940, enamel on canvas. Met, NYC

1940

Pollock was a Jewish refugee from Nazi Germany. His abstract expressionism was a symbol of American freedom and individualism. This painting was a classic of Pollock's drip-style art.

Paul Rudolph, Jewett Arts Center, Wellesley College, 1955-58

1955

Rudolph was commissioned by to create a building that was like the attractive grandchild who has the old family looks but does not wear the old family clothes.
He makes this building modernist with a few key elements such as
a flat roof, ribbon windows, piloties, a floating bit like bauhaus, and asymmetrical balance. Different parts of the building have different functions/different designs and there was exposed structural support and a floating staircase.

Lygia Clark, Ovo (Egg), 1959, industrial paint on canvas. MFA Houston

1959

Clark intended for her art to have many possibilities on how the viewer would interact and think about it. She was part of the Neo-concrete group. Like Mondrian, Clark explored geometric abstraction; however, Clark pushes beyond the one-dimensional works of Mondrian and her art appears three-dimensional.

Andy Warhol, Marilyn Diptych, 1963, silkscreen on canvas. Tate Modern, London

1963

Art has been thought of singular and unique; however, with the innovation of silkscreens, this is no longer true. Silkscreen can make thousands of prints, which pushes against the tradition of art being singular. This also calls attention to the commercialization of society. Diptychs as a religious context as they are often on altars in churches. By calling this Marilyn Diptych, Warhol makes a statement on modern society values and the people who are admired and adored.

Maya Lin (US), Vietnam Memorial, 1982, black granite. National Mall, Washington

1982

People make monuments to commemorate events, establish narratives, and raise awareness for issues. In Lin's Vietnam Memorial, it faces death in a direct way by writing the names of the deceased on a reflective granite surface.

James Luna, Artifact Piece, 1985-87, performance at Museum of Man, San Diego:

1985

This performance by Luna comments on how Native Americans were represented as ethnographic anthropological subjects. While many museums tend to display Native American artifacts as extinct products from a culture, Luna's performance included degrees, and cassette tapes that identify him as a modern man.

Wendy Red Star, Spring, from the “Four Seasons” series, 2006, inkjet print. Met, NYC

2006

This digital photograph shows the idealization of Native Americans and how many things are manipulated, making it aware the photos are altered and staged. The clothing Red Star is wearing traditional Crow regalia and she is also wearing a blue beaded purse. This purse which may seem like it fits into the traditional Native American regalia is actually made in China. This calls attention to things we consider to be Native American may just be byproducts of globalization and modernity.

Mickelene Thomas, A Little Taste of Love, 2007, acrylic, enamel and rhinestones on wood panel. Brooklyn Museum

2007

This painting cites La Grande Odalisque with the pose of the woman. However, there is a completely different feeling to this painting and it does not seem as voyeuristic as La Grande Odalisque, which is painted by a white man. On the other hand, A Little Taste of Love was created by an African American woman. This piece is also not as objectifying as Olympia, where a black woman is a supporting figure. The piece gives agency back to Black women.

Yang Yongliang, Artificial Wonderland II - Travelers Among Mountains and Streams, 2014, The Davis Museum, Wellesley College

2014

Artificial Wonderland II by Yang Yongliang is a digital replica of Fan Kuan's Travelers Among Mountains and Streams. Yang creates a composite photograph using pictures of industrial buildings. By doing this, Yang creates a modern reception to Chinese painting in a new form, photography and retells the relationship between humans and nature in modern society.

Paul Ramirez Jonas (US), Eternal Flame, 2020-21, five bbq grills, concrete, and other materials. Socrates Sculpture Park, New York

2020

While many monuments are supposed to be sacred and non-reactive, Jonas's Eternal Flame is a monument that people are supposed to react to and participate in. This monument encourages community and inclusion.

Kehinde Wiley (US), Rumors of War, 2020, bronze. Richmond, Virginia

2020

Many monuments are crucial to memory and culture and when these monuments become continuous, it calls to question what are we to do with them. Wiley's monument is a direct response to the Confederate statues that line Monument Avenue in Richmond.