History of Drawing

By sadie.luwhoo
  • 30,000 BCE

    Pre-historic

    People have been drawing since the beginning of human history. The earliest known drawings were found on cave walls of Altamira, Spain and Lascaux, France, northern Spain and southern France.
  • 3000 BCE

    Ancient Egypt

    Early Egyptians also decorated the walls of their temples and tombs by carving scenes of daily life, hieroglyphics, and religious deities, or gods.
  • 800 BCE

    Ancient Greece

    Ancient Greeks have several lasting artifacts of their drawing. The vases and pottery that were drawn or painted on by Ancient Greeks exhibit their graceful, decorative use of drawing. They used drawings to depict scenes of battles and myths.
  • 400 BCE

    Middle Ages

    Throughout the Middle Ages drawings were produced primarily to express religious messages and stories of the Bible.
  • 1300

    Renaissance

    During the Renaissance, art became more popular and affordable because of the availability of the materials. Portraiture became very popular household items among the wealthy families.

  • Baroque Period

    The Baroque Period introduced a new style of drawing that included livelier forms with flowing lines. Artists also began using water colors and ink washers.

  • The 19th Century

    Pencils were manufactured and quickly became the most preferred drawing tools. This led to various art movements such as Impressionism, Cubism, Expressionism, and Fauvism.

  • The 20th Century

    Artists started capturing movements of everyday scenes, ballet dancers, horse races, and even dreams.