Art History Timeline

Venus of Willendorf

25,000 BCE

One of the oldest surviving works of art. Some of the words and phrases that stand out within this definition include “application of skill,” “imitation,” and “beautiful.” By this definition, the concept of “art” involves the use of skill to create an object that contains some appreciation of aesthetics. The object is not only made, it is made with an attempt of creating something that contains elements of beauty.

Katep and his Wife

2563 BCE

The Great Pyramids of Giza

2530 BCE

The Great Pyramid of Giza is a defining symbol of Egypt and the last of the ancient Seven Wonders of the World. It is located on the Giza plateau near the modern city of Cairo and was built over a twenty-year period during the reign of the king Khufu (2589-2566 BCE, also known as Cheops) of the 4th Dynasty. Until the Eiffel Tower was completed in Paris, France in 1889 CE, the Great Pyramid was the tallest structure made by human hands in the world.

Seated Scribe

2400 BCE

Ziggurat at Ur

2100 BCE

Stonehenge

2000 BCE

Steele of Hammurabi

1760 BCE

First written set of laws

Snake Goddess

1550 BCE

Bull Dance

1500 BCE

Lion Gate at Mycenae

1250 BCE

Three Goddesses

435 BCE

Temple of Athena Nike

425 BCE

Dying Gaul

230 BCE

Old Market Woman

200 BCE

The Roman Colosseum

80 BCE

The Roman Colosseum or Coliseum, originally known as the Flavian Amphitheatre, was commisioned in AD 72 by Emperor Vespasian. It was completed by his son, Titus, in 80, with later improvements by Domitian.
The Colosseum is located just east of the Roman Forum and was built to a practical design, with its 80 arched entrances allowing easy access to 55,000 spectators, who were seated according to rank. The Coliseum is huge, an ellipse 188m long and 156 wide.

The Good Shepherd

300

The Arch of Constantine

312

Archangel Michael

500

Palatine Chapel of Charlemagne

Apr 18, 792

The Mission of the Apostles

Apr 18, 1120

Christ between the Virgin and Saint John

Apr 18, 1261

Christ Raising Lazarus from the Dead

Apr 18, 1309

Court of the Lions

Apr 18, 1354

Arnolfini Portrait

Apr 18, 1434

Dead Christ

Apr 18, 1466

The Last Supper

Jan 1, 1495

The subject of the Last Supper is Christ’s final meal with his apostles before Judas identifies Christ to the authorities who arrest him. Christ says to his apostles “One of you will betray me,” and the apostles react, each according to his own personality. Referring to the Gospels, Leonardo depicts Philip asking “Lord, is it I?”

David

Apr 18, 1501

Mona Lisa

Apr 18, 1503

School of Athens

Apr 18, 1510

Cathedral of St. Basil

Apr 18, 1554

Lion Hunt

Apr 18, 1616

The Roast Beef of Old England

Apr 18, 1748

Oath of Horatii

Apr 18, 1784

Third of May

Apr 18, 1814

We see row of French soldiers aiming their guns at a Spanish man, who stretches out his arms in submission both to the men and to his fate. A country hill behind him takes the place of an executioner’s wall. A pile of dead bodies lies at his feet, streaming blood. To his other side, a line of Spanish rebels stretches endlessly into the landscape. They cover their eyes to avoid watching the death that they know awaits them. The city and civilization is far behind them.

Liberty Leading the People

Apr 18, 1830

United States Capitol

Apr 18, 1851

Sheep by the Sea

Apr 18, 1869

Attitudes of Animals in Motion

Apr 18, 1878

The Starry Night

Apr 18, 1889

The curving, swirling lines of hills, mountains, and sky, the brilliantly contrasting blues and yellows, the large, flame-like cypress trees, and the thickly layered brushstrokes of Vincent van Gogh’s The Starry Night are engrained in the minds of many as an expression of the artist’s turbulent state-of-mind. Van Gogh’s canvas is indeed an exceptional work of art, not only in terms of its quality but also within the artist’s oeuvre.

The Cry

Apr 18, 1893

The Yellow Cow

Apr 18, 1911

American Gothic

Apr 18, 1930

Arts of the West

Apr 18, 1932

Diego y Yo

Apr 18, 1940

Man Pointing

Apr 18, 1947