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During Prehistoric times, Cave paintings were created. In the prehistoric times the artists used techniques of blowing paint by the mouth, and hollowing out bones. They used different materials to create different colors using charcoal, and ochre. Historians believed the prehistoric cave paintings were created for a couple reasons like communication and historical account. The cave painting were used animals that were hunted, as a religious symbol and also as a display of good luck.
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Egyptian art was naturalistic and served a different purpose than other cultures. This art was not meant to be seen but rather function to benefit a divine or deceased recipient. Egyptian art was never intended to be see, it was to act as a place for the recipient during the ritual. Statuary provided a conduit for the spirit and they were used in rituals and festivals. The Egyptians were known for hieroglyphics and the construction of pyramids that were a solar reference.
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The Art of Classical Antiquity took place from 800 BCE TO 400 BCE. In this time span all Greek and Roman art was created during Classical Antiquity. Classical Antiquity refers to the short period of classical civilization, focusing on Ancient Greece and Ancient Rome. Early antiquity was characterized by different types of art like ancient pottery, forms of religious art, narrative relief sculpture and decorative art. Some well known work from this time is, "The Capitoline Venus", by Praxiteles.
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The era of Greek art, was between 800 to 323 BCE. Greek Art was influenced by Egyptian art,. Greeks focused on architecture and they were known for the three Greek architectural orders: Doric, Ionic, and Corinthian. The orders varied in simplicity to the most decorative and defined. Two of the distinctive forms of free-standing sculpture emerged during this time, the kouroi and korai. The Parthenon is a well known structure of Greek Art it was made to be the Temple of Athena.
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The era of Roman was influenced by the Hellenistic painting and sculpture. Ancient Rome was the powerful nation on earth and it excelled all others by means of warfare, engineering and architecture. The Romans practiced sculpture, fine art painting, and jewelry. The Roman architecture was ground breaking, with their round temples, curved arches and massive scale. Without Rome's development of the arch and dome we would not have the Pantheon or Colosseum.
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The period of the Dark Ages, includes the beginning of Medieval art and also the start of Byzantine art. The Dark Ages has the early period which created the first types of Early Christian art and illuminated manuscripts. This time frame also included the Carolingian/ Ottonian period, which had the support of secular leaders and lead to Christian art. This patronage influenced architecture, sculpture and the creation of illuminated manuscripts.
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The time of Medieval Art is the period from the Fall of Rome in the West, to the Fall of Constantinople in the East. During this time period Cathedral Art focused on the Romanesque and Gothic styles. This phase of Medieval arts was triggered by the Church's program, of cathedral construction. A well known structure during this time was the Sainte Chapelle in Paris with its beautiful stained glass.
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The Renaissance art was driven by the idea of humanism and had the foundation for many of the achievements. It focused on humanism which was the idea of taking an interest in human beings and this things of this world regarding human achievement and individuality. Leonardo da Vinci,was a very known artist of this time frame he focused on understanding the form of the human body and how it worked. Major works during this time were the Last Supper, the Sistine Chapel and the Mona Lisa.
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The iconic bronze statue of David, was the greatest sculpture of early Renaissance. This sculpture was created for the Medici palace, in Florence. David came from the biblical story of David and Goliath. This was the first creation of a nude male figure in Ancient Greek, Roman time. The purpose of this sculpture was to celebrate the body and humanism. To show off the perfect man that God made. David later became a symbol for independence.
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Leonardo's The Last Supper, is a significant piece of artwork because it incorporated the techniques of perspective lines, geometry, and vanishing points. The fresco uses the themes of classical humanism. This painting conveyed the scene of The Last Supper of Jesus with his apostles. Leonardo depicted the scene among the 12 disciples when Jesus announced that one of them would betray him. The painting portrays the reaction by each of the apostles when Jesus said one was to betray him.
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The Mona Lisa, by Leonardo da Vinci. This is a portrait, and portraits were very rare for someone in this time period. Portraits demonstrated the likeness and status of a person. The Mona Lisa, used the technique of chiaroscuro and sfumato. This work is considered the finest example of a portrait art and one of the greatest Renaissance paintings.
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The Sistine Chapel is the pope's own chapel. It was created for Pope Sixtus IV, who wanted the building that would house the palace chapel and serve as a Vatican fortress. It was built in the era of Renaissance architecture by Giovanni dei Dolci. The Sistine Chapel contains frescoes created by Michelangelo. The Sistine Chapel displays scenes from the Book of Genesis and the Last Judgement. The first scene is the creation of the world when God is separating light from darkness.
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This artistic style started in Italy from the end of the High Renaissance to the beginnings of the Baroque style. Mannerism originated as a reaction to classicism and it idealized the naturalism of the High Renaissance art. Mannerist artists evoked a style that is characterized by a self conscious cultivation of elegance and technique showing sophistication.
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The Baroque period was stylistically complex and sometimes contradictory. Baroque art looked to evoke emotional states, showing drama. The qualities of this period showed the qualities of richness, drama , movement and tension. The churches were the main patron of Baroque art and it functioned to encourage people to return to the Catholic Church. Many Catholic Emperors and monarchs had an important stake in the Catholic Church's success, leading to all the architectural designs, and sculpture.
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The Taj Mahal was ordered to be built by Shan Jahan when his favorite wife had died during childbirth. He wanted it built as a holy tomb. This building played into the theme of a romance story.
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American Colonial Art describes the art and architecture of the 17th and 18th century settlers who arrived in America from Europe. The American colonial art is characterized by two main features the native group of artisan artists and the influence of visiting artists from Europe. The conflicting idealism also inspired and divided the politics of the new Republic eventually leading to the war between the states.
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The Rococo movement was an art movement that began in France and spread throughout the world. The word is derived from the French term, "rocaille" which means , rock-work after the forms of sea shells. The Rococo art included fine art painting, architecture, sculpture, furniture, fabric and porcelain. Rococo art addressed controversy of the time by combining it with color versus drawing. The artists focused on attention to detail and use of bright colors.
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The era of Neoclassicism looked and copied styles from Roman culture. Neoclassicism looked at linear, idealized figures, and mythological figures from the Greek and Roman culture. The enlightenment influenced this style, neoclassicism believed in a world that is rational, ordered, and hierarchical. It focused on humans relationship with nature and how humans had control of it.
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The Louvre, houses one of the most famous collections of fine art like the Greek statue Venus de Milo, and the portrait of Mona Lisa. The Louvre Museum, is France's national museum and art gallery. It is one of the best art museums in Europe. The Louvre has eight departments, including the Middle Eastern Antiquities, Egyptian treasures Greek, Etruscan, and Roman Antiquities, Islamic Art, Paintings and Prints, Drawings and sculpture. It is the most popular art museum in the world.
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The style of Romanticism did not gather momentum until the end of the 18th century. The Romantic style emerged in the wake of the French Revolution as a reaction against the academic art. Romanticism shows a return to nature, and an emphasis the goodness of humanity. Romantic artists focused on expressing an emotional response to life. The Romantic painters were Henry Fuseli, Francisco Goya, and JMW Turner. Romantic art did not displace the Neoclassical style but worked as a counterbalance.
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The birth of photography happened when Joseph Nicephore Niepce invented a light sensitive surface, that had the basic principle of photography. Niepce's famous, "View from the Window at Gras", required a very slow speed, 8 hours to photograph.
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Realism is one of the most important art movements of the modern era. This era grew as a result of rapid changes in industrial and social conditions. Realism rise was influenced by the importance of science and the decline of romantic individualism. Realist painting led directly to Monet's impressionism and painting from nature. The different eras went from Realism, Classicism, Romanticism, to Impressionism. These different art periods focus on different areas and use different techniques.
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Louis Daguerre takes the first photo. Louis Daguerre's photograph Paris Boulevard, was a significant step in the development of photography. Louis Daguerre was known for developing his technique of the daguerreotype technique.
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The style of realism spread to all genres like painting, portraits, genre-painting and landscapes. Realist artists focused on genre scenes of rural and urban working class, as well as street scenes. Realism moved away from the idea to the ordinary. Realist artists wanted to portray real people and not the idealized. These artists looked to depict the real life situations and they reflected a progressive and influential significance.
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Modern Art remains to be a very elastic term and it encompasses a variety of meanings. Modern art began once the new modern artists were fed up with the traditional art forms. This new modern art had a range of new themes, new material and bold new methods. Modern art embraced almost everything from abstraction to hyper realism, classical painting and sculpture. This art focused on showing a new development of art like collages, and used new materials like newspaper and use of color.
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Cubism, was a truly revolutionary style of modern art developed by Picasso and Braque they emphasize the flat, two dimensional surface of the picture plane. It was the first style of abstract art, and it attempts to revitalize the tired traditions of Western art.They reject the traditional techniques and they are not bound to copy forms, texture and color. Cubism develops a new way of seeing in this modern age.
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Surrealism was the fashionable art movement, it spread across Europe. Surrealism was one of the most influential styles of avant-garde art. The name surrealism, was derived from the phrase, "Drame surrealiste." Surrealism art demonstrated the techniques of using the subconscious creativity including the dreams, hallucinations and image generation. Andre Breton was a writer, who founded surrealism. Salvador Dali was an important leader in this era with his work, "The Persistence of Memory".
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The Art Deco style originated in Paris, and it influenced architecture and culture. Art Deco reflected modern technology, using smooth lines, geometric shapes, streamlined forms, and bright colors. It was initially a luxury style using silver, crystal, ivory and after the Depression it cheapens by using plastics and chrome material. Art Deco was influenced by the geometric forms of Cubism and used machine style forms like constructivism. Art Deco also borrowed techniques from Eqyptian art.
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Abstract Expressionism is a term used for the general movement of non-representative painting. This movement flourished in the United States and it was strongly influenced by the Europeans. Abstract Expressionism desired to redefine the nature of painting and the creation of a new type of art. The Abstract Expressionism movement had two broad groups with action painters like Jackson Pollock and William De Kooning and passive painters like Mark Rothko, and Barnett Newman.
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The postmodernist art refers to the wide range of contemporary art. The postmodernist art is the rejection of the aesthetics upon which its predecessor modern art based. Postmodernism lead to the artistic experimentation with new media and art forms, like conceptual, performance, installation, and computer aided movement art. Postmodernist art has stretched what the definition of art is to anything goes.
