-
30,000 BCE
Chauvet–Pont d'Arc Cave Art
The Chauvet–Pont d'Arc Cave Art in France is considered to be one of the greatest Paleolithic sanctuaries ever discovered. The earliest visitors, the Aurignacians, did most of the paintings. They used the cave for their ceremonies. -
25,000 BCE
Venus of Willendorf
It has been suggested that she is a fertility figure, a good-luck totem, a mother goddess symbol, or an aphrodisiac made by men for the appreciation of men. -
20,000 BCE
Lascaux Cave Art - Great Black Bull
The paintings of the Lascaux Cave in France consist primarily of large animals, once native to the region.The cave contains almost 2,000 figures, consisting of animals, human figures and abstract signs. -
1887 BCE
Pectoral and Necklace of Sithathoryunet with the Name of Senwosret II
This piece was made in 1887 BC, during the Middle Kingdom of Egypt. It was found in Princess Sithathoryunet's underground tomb. The hieroglyphic signs may read: "The god of the rising sun grants life and dominion over all that the sun encircles for one million one hundred thousand years [i.e., eternity] to King Khakheperre [Senwosret II]." -
575 BCE
Ishtar Gate - Mesopotamian Art
The Ishtar Gate was created in 575 BC, during a time of flourishing art, architecture, and science in Mesopotamia. It is known for its bas-relief dragons and accompanying Processional Way. It is covered in lapis lazuli-glazed bricks to give the gate a gleaming blue surface. -
330 BCE
Griffon-Lion Relief
This glazed brickwork depicts a griffin-lion relief. This artwork was created during the Achaemenid Period in Ancient Persia, during the 300s BC. -
780
Medallion with the Bust of Christ ("The Cumberland Medallion"), from the Guelph Treasure
This medallion was created in Weserraum, Germany during the Migration period of the late 8th century. This medallion may have originally served as a sacerdotal brooch and is the earliest object from the Guelph Treasure, the ecclesiastical treasure of Germany’s Braunschweig (Brunswick) Cathedral. -
1038
Ceremonial Cross of Countess Gertrude
This gold cross was commissioned by the German Countess Gertrude and given to the church of Saint Blaise following the death of her husband, Count Liudolf of Brunswick. The cross was intended to be carried in liturgical processions or to be placed on a church altar. -
1400
The Madonna of Humility with the Temptation of Eve
The Madonna of Humility with the Temptation of Eve was painted by Olivuccio di Ciccarello in Italy in 1400. The Madonna is seated on the ground and nursing her child. Eve is lying on the lower portion of the painting, eating a fruit and being tempted by a serpent, condemning humankind through her original sin. -
1479
Primavera
Primavera is a large panel painting by Sandro Botticelli in Italy. The painting depicts a group of figures from classical mythology in a garden. It has been theorized that the painting is an allegory based on growth during spring time. -
1480
The Birth of Venus
The Birth of Venus is a painting by the Italian artist Sandro Botticelli in the 1480s. It depicts the goddess Venus arriving at the shore after her birth. She had emerged from the sea fully-grown. -
1506
Mona Lisa
The Mona Lisa was painted by Leonardo da Vinci from 1503 - 1506. The painting is thought by many to be a portrait of Lisa Gherardini, the wife of Francesco del Giocondo. It is in oil on a white Lombardy poplar panel. The Mona Lisa is one of the most valuable paintings in the world. -
1540
The Madonna with the Long Neck
The Madonna with the Long Neck was painted by Parmigianino in the years 1535 to 1540. The painting depicts the Virgin Mary sitting on a pedestal while holding a large, misshapen baby Jesus. The painter chose to make Mary look graceful and elegant by giving her the neck a swan. -
1548
Miracle of the Slave
Miracle of the Slave was painted by Italian Renaissance artists Jacopo Tintoretto in 1548. The painting depicts Saint Mark intervening to help a slave about to be martyred for veneration of another saint's relics. -
1560
The Lamentation
Luis de Morales depicts Jesus being removed from the cross and mourned over by his family and friends. This painting was owned by Pope Pius VII and passed down through his family. -
Medusa
Medusa was painted by Caravaggio in 1598 on a shield given to Duke Ferdinando I. This iconology was often used by the Medici to represent their military power. Medusa's expression is meant to show the moment between life and death. -
Self Portrait
Self Portrait by Rembrandt is one of the first self portraits he created. He experimented with different lighting and painting techniques. Bright light from behind casts dark shadows on Rembrandt's face. He created the strands of hair by scratching the wet paint. -
Girl with a Pearl Earring
Girl with a Pearl Earring was painted by Johannes Vermeer in 1665. The girl depicted is an imaginary figure. This painting shows how Vermeer was the master of light, as the light shows the softness of the girl's skin and the shine of the pearl. -
Blind Man's Bluff
Blind Man's Bluff was completed by Jean-Honoré Fragonard in 1752. The painting depict two youths flirting in a romantic setting containing ornamental flowers and fantastical nature. -
A View of Walton Bridge
A View of Walton Bridge was painted by Canaletto in 1754. The lighting and intricacy of the painting fits with the Rococo style. -
View of the Giudecca Canal and the Zattere
View of the Giudecca Canal and the Zattere was painted by Francesco Guardi in 1758. Views were popular subjects to paint and the use of light and color are characteristic of the Rococo period. -
The Shipwreck
The Shipwreck was painted by J. M. W. Turner in 1805. The painting is a good example of Romanticism because the figures are very expressive. The people are obviously desperate to stay afloat and nature is seemingly ruthless. -
Napoleon as Mars the Peacemaker
Napoleon as Mars the Peacemaker was sculpted by Antonio Canova in 1806. Napoleon is depicted as a heroic male figure, similar to how the ancient Greeks created the ideal male figure. -
Three Spartan Boys Practising Archery
Three Spartan boys practising archery was painted by Christoffer Wilhelm Eckersberg in 1812. This piece reflects the Neoclassicism focus on the young male form and Greek influence. -
The Anger of Achilles
The Anger of Achilles was painted by Jacques-Louis David in 1819. Jacques-Louis David is considered one of the best Neoclassical painters, as he attempted to capture the perfection achieved by ancient Greek art. -
The Last Day of Pompeii
The Last Day of Pompeii was painted by Karl Bryullov in 1833. This painting is a very good example of artists' focus on human emotions and expressions, a major characteristic of the Romanticism time period. Shock, horror, and fear are clearly expressed on the figures' faces. -
The Great Day of His Wrath
The Great Day of His Wrath was painted by John Martin in 1850. This piece contains figures in desperate forms, such as reaching towards the sky or falling. The expressions shown are characteristic of a Romanticism painting. -
The Veteran in a New Field
The Veteran in a New Field, painted by Winslow Homer in 1865, is a great example of Realism art because it depicts a man hard at work in a field. -
The Weeders
Jules Breton painted The Weeders in 1868. It depicts several women in work clothing weeding a field. -
The Road to Vétheuil
Claude Monet painted The Road to Vétheuil in 1879. Monet is considered one of the best Impressionism painters. He used light and color to depict a moment in nature, not focusing on capturing the accurate details of the landscape. -
Boys Playing on the Shore
Boys Playing on the Shore was completed by Albert Edelfelt in 1884. This painting depicts several young boys playing in the water. It is a Realism piece because it shows life without embellishment. -
Carnation, Lily, Lily, Rose
Carnation, Lily, Lily, Rose was completed by John Singer Sargent in 1885. This piece is an excellent example of Impressionism because the artist is focused on capturing the light, color, and feeling of the experience, rather than the accuracy of the image. -
Self-Portrait with a Straw Hat
Self-Portrait with a Straw Hat was painted by Vincent van Gogh in 1887. His use of color and technique, such as bright, unnatural colors and thick paint application, is characteristic of the Post Impressionism period. -
Green Field
Vincent van Gogh painted Green Field in 1889. This piece reflects the characteristics of Post-Impressionism through the use of bright, vivid colors and the distortion of organic forms. -
In the morning, Alpes Maritimes from Antibes
In the morning, Alpes Maritimes from Antibes was completed by John Peter Russell in 1890, towards the end of the Impressionism movement. While working with Monet, Russell focused on capturing the bright colors of nature using a more colorful palette. -
Vase
This vase was blown by Maurice Dufrêne in 1895. It reflects the long, organic, and intricate curves characteristic of the Art Nouveau period. -
Vampire
Vampire was painted by Edvard Munch in 1895. The painting was created during the Post Impressionism movement. The two figures are distorted and brightly colored to reflect emotions and expression. -
Necklace - Hop tendril
Necklace - Hop tendril was created by René Lalique in 1900. It reflects the Art Nouveau period through the use of organic form. -
Kiss IV
Kiss IV was created by Edvard Munch in 1902, the beginning of the Expressionism art movement. The woodcut depicts a man and a woman kissing and embracing each other. Their forms are distorted and difficult to see, but emotions are still communicated. -
The Brooch. Eva Mudocci
Edvard Munch created "The Brooch. Eva Mudocci" in 1903, the very beginning of the Expressionism art movement. Munch and Eva Mudocci had a romantic history that had become a more platonic, but intimate relationship. This portrait conveys Munch's emotions towards Mudocci. She had become his muse. -
The Seine at Nanterre
The Seine at Nanterre was painted by Maurice de Vlaminck in 1907. Influenced by Vincent van Gogh, Vlaminick's style was the use of bold, bright colors and thick brushstrokes to create a simplified, but expressive painting. -
Bust of a Man (The Athlete)
Bust of a Man (The Athlete) was painted by Pablo Picasso in 1909, towards the beginning of the Cubism movement. Picasso uses simplified geometric forms to create a two dimensional image. -
Death and Life
Death and Life was created by Gustav Klimt in 1910. This piece is part of the Art Nouveau movement, a time characterized by flowing curves and intricate lines. -
Dog Lying in the Snow
Franz Marc painted Dog Lying in the Snow in 1911. Cubism characteristics used by Marc include simplified geometric shapes and bright colors. -
Three Bathers
Three Bathers was painted by Ernst Ludwig Kirchner in 1913, during the Expressionism art movement. Kirchner aimed to capture the primitive instincts of humanity through the use of nude female figures and nature. This is an example of Expressionism's focus on humanism and a deeper understanding of humanity. -
Four Girls
Four Girls was painted by August Macke in 1913, during the Cubism art movement. Cubism characteristics can be seen through Macke's use of geometric shapes, bright colors, and two-dimensional figures. -
Fête Nautique (The Regatta)
In 1922, during the Fauvism movement, Raoul Dufy painted Fête Nautique (The Regatta). He used vivid colors with dark outlines to created exaggerated forms. As Dufy spent much of his life by the sea, the way he chose to depict the scene is connected to how he sees the water and the activity that takes place. -
Window Opening on Nice
Window Opening on Nice was painted by Raoul Dufy in 1928. It was painted using thick brush strokes single, unnatural, and unmixed colors, which is characteristic of the Fauvism art movement. -
Portrait of Luther Burbank
Portrait of Luther Burbank was painted by Frida Kahlo in 1931. The painting depicts a man whose legs have turned into tree roots, feeding off a corpse underground, to represent the cycle of life. Surrealism can be seen in the bizarre combination of a man and tree, distorted figures, and symbolic images. -
PH-414
Clyfford Still painted PH-414 in 1935. The painting shows a male and female figure that are distorted and slightly bizarre. Sexuality is also expressed because the figures are naked and exaggerated. -
Death of Constable Scanlon-Ned Kelly Series
Death of Constable Scanlon - Ned Kelly Series was painted by Sidney Nolan in 1946. Characteristics of Surrealism can be seen through Scanlon's use of symbolic images, dream-like scenes, and illogical activities. A man and a horse are floating in the air and a figure with a square head is looking directly towards the viewer. -
Woman II
Woman II was painted by Willem de Kooning. de Kooning uses agressively mixed colors and a distorted female figure, reflecting characteristics of the Abstract Expressionism art movement. -
City Landscape
City Landscape was painted by Joan Mitchell in 1955. The painting is titled "City Landscape," but the scene vaguely resembles a city skyline. It it a jumbled mess of colors, shapes, and lines. The busy colors could represent the business of city life. -
Painting no. 9
Painting no. 9 was painted by Ralph Balson in 1959. Balson said "I have long held the belief that the arts of man are his expression in terms of a particular medium of his concept of the universe…I can realize that the energy, the atoms that reach us from the sun is the source, the rhythm of existence, and the very narrow band, the spectrum, is all we can ever hope to have to try and reach a small amount of the rhythm and relativity of the universe with the substance of paint." -
Descending
Descending was created by Bridget Riley in the 1960s. The contrasting zig-zags create the illusion of movements. -
Movement in Squares
Movement in Squares was created by Bridget Riley in 1961. With the careful placement of lines and high contrast between black and white, Riley created the illusion of moving squares in a still image. -
Campbell's Soup Cans
Campbell's Soup Cans is a work consisting of 32 separate canvases. Andy Warhol, when asked about why he chose to replicate the same image over and over again, simply stated “I used to have the same lunch every day, for twenty years, I guess, the same thing over and over again.” Again, everyday objects were often the subjects of Pop Art pieces. -
Coloritmo # 66
Alejandro Otero made Coloritmo # 66 in 1966. The piece reflects Abstract Expressionism through the use of high contrasts and negative space. -
Alka Seltzer
Alka Seltzer was painted by Roy Lichtenstein in 1966. The image represents Pop Art through the use of bold, simple, everyday imagery. -
One Hundred and Fifty Multicolored Marilyns
One Hundred and Fifty Multicolored Marilyns was composed by Andy Warhol, considered synonymous with Pop Art. This particular work fits the characteristics of Pop Art because the subject, Marilyn Monroe, is popular in the mass media.
