Art of Europe

The art of Europe, also known as Western art, is the story of visual art made by people in Europe over many years. It started long ago with prehistoric art, like Upper Paleolithic rock and cave painting. We know more about it from around 3000 BC with the Aegean civilizations, and it became clearer with Ancient Greek art. The Greeks influenced Rome, and their art spread through the Roman Empire to many places.

The art of the Classical period changed over two thousand years. It almost disappeared during the Medieval time but came back strongly in the Renaissance. Some thought it changed in the Baroque period, but it returned in new forms like Neo-Classicism and Post-Modernism.

For a long time, the Christian church helped artists by giving them work. But people also painted about old myths, big battles, brave heroes, and stories that were not about religion. In the last two hundred years, most art has not been about religion or any particular ideology, though it has often been shaped by politics.

European art has many different styles, such as Byzantine, Medieval, Gothic, Renaissance, Baroque, Rococo, Neoclassical, Modern, Postmodern, and New European Painting. These styles often existed at the same time in different places.

Prehistoric art

Main article: Prehistoric art § Europe

Prehistoric art in Europe is an important part of the continent's history. It began during the Stone Age and continued through the Neolithic, Bronze Age, and Iron Age. Most of what we know comes from small sculptures and cave paintings.

Some of the oldest cave art in Europe is found in places like the El Castillo Cave in Spain. Famous sites such as Lascaux in France and Altamira in Spain have beautiful paintings of animals. These early artists used simple tools to create works that tell us about their lives and beliefs.

Ancient

Minoan

Main article: Minoan art

The Minoan civilization of Crete is one of the oldest in Europe. Minoan art is known for its creative pictures and skilled work. Most of what we have left are pottery, carved Minoan seals, wall paintings called frescos, small sculptures, jewelry, and metalwork.

Minoan art often shows animals and sea creatures. Some paintings show people leaping over bulls, which may have been part of special ceremonies. Figures in Minoan art move with energy but are not always very lifelike.

Classical Greek and Hellenistic

Main article: Ancient Greek art

Ancient Greece had wonderful painters, sculptors, and architects. The Parthenon is a famous example of their buildings. Greek marble sculptures are often considered the best examples of art from this time. Paintings on Greek pottery of Ancient Greece and ceramics give us clues about daily life in Greece. We know the names of some great Greek painters, but none of their paintings have survived.

Roman

Main article: Roman art

Roman art was inspired by Greek art but had its own style too. Roman artists were especially good at making realistic portraits of important people and gods. Many Roman wall paintings have survived, especially from places like Pompeii and Herculaneum. These paintings show different styles and sometimes make objects look very real.

Medieval

Main article: Medieval art

Most art from the medieval period was about religion. It was often paid for by the Church, bishops, abbeys, or rich people. Many artworks, like crosses and altarpieces, were made for special church uses.

Back then, artists didn’t worry much about making things look perfectly real. They wanted to tell religious stories in a clear, easy-to-understand way, even if it wasn’t exactly how things looked.

Time Period: 6th century to 15th century

Early medieval art

Migration period art is the name for the art made by people who moved into places once ruled by Rome. In Britain and Ireland, Celtic artists mixed their styles with Germanic traditions from the Anglo-Saxons. This created the Hiberno-Saxon style, which influenced later art. The Franks made Merovingian art, and later Carolingian art. Anglo-Saxon art is the art of England after this time. Illuminated manuscripts are some of the most famous artworks from this time, but people also made beautiful metalwork and small carved pieces.

Buckle of [Sutton Hoo](/wiki/Sutton_Hoo); 580–620; gold and niello; length: 13.1 cm; [British Museum](/wiki/British_Museum) (London)

The _[helmet of Sutton Hoo](/wiki/Sutton_Hoo_helmet)_; early 7th century AD; coppery alloy, iron, gold and [garnet](/wiki/Garnet); height: 31.8 cm; British Museum

Shoulder-clasps from Sutton Hoo; early 7th century; gold, glass & [garnet](/wiki/Garnet); length: 12.7 cm; British Museum

The [Incipit](/wiki/Incipit) to the Gospel of Matthew from the [Book of Lindisfarne](/wiki/Book_of_Lindisfarne); late 7th century; ink and pigments on vellum; 34 x 25 cm; [British Library](/wiki/British_Library) (London)

Byzantine

Main article: Byzantine art

Byzantine art is the art from the time after Early Christian art, mainly from the city of Constantinople. During a time called iconoclasm (730-843), many artworks were lost, but after that, Byzantine art became very famous for its beautiful mosaics and frescoes in churches. Many of these artworks have not survived because of natural disasters or changes in churches.

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  Slab with a relief representing the Nativity of Jesus; 4th-early 5th century; marble; Byzantine and Christian Museum (Athens)

Apse of the _[Santa Maria Maggiore](/wiki/Santa_Maria_Maggiore)_ church in [Rome](/wiki/Rome), decorated in the 5th century with this glamorous mosaic

Mosaics on a ceiling and some walls of the [Basilica of San Vitale](/wiki/Basilica_of_San_Vitale) in [Ravenna](/wiki/Ravenna) (Italy), circa 547 AD

The _[Little Metropolis](/wiki/Little_Metropolis)_ in [Athens](/wiki/Athens), built on unknown dates, between the 9th century to the 13th century

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  Cameo; 10th-11th centuries; jasper, almandine, emerald and chrysoprase; from Constantinople; Moscow Kremlin Museums (Russia)

Gospel lectionary; circa 1100; tempera, gold, and ink on parchment, and leather binding; overall: 36.8 x 29.6 x 12.4 cm, folio: 35 x 26.2 cm; [Metropolitan Museum of Art](/wiki/Metropolitan_Museum_of_Art) (New York City)

Icon of the New Testament Trinity; circa 1450; tempera and gold on wood panel (poplar); [Cleveland Museum of Art](/wiki/Cleveland_Museum_of_Art) ([Cleveland](/wiki/Cleveland), [Ohio](/wiki/Ohio), US)

Page of an Armenian [illuminated manuscript](/wiki/Illuminated_manuscript); 1637–1638; tempera colors, gold paint, and [gold leaf](/wiki/Gold_leaf) on parchment; height: 25.2 cm; [Getty Center](/wiki/Getty_Center) (Los Angeles)

Romanesque

Main article: Romanesque art

Romanesque art was made from about 1000 until the 12th century when Gothic art began. This was a time when Europe grew richer, and for the first time, artists across Europe used a similar style. Romanesque art is strong and direct, often brightly colored, and very detailed. Stained glass and enamel on metal became popular, and larger sculptures started to appear. The buildings had thick walls, round windows and arches, and lots of carved designs.

_[Maria Laach Abbey](/wiki/Maria_Laach_Abbey)_ (near [Andernach](/wiki/Andernach), Germany), one of the most iconic Romanesque churches

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  Stone bas-relief of Jesus, from the Vézelay Abbey (Burgundy, France)

Miniature of [Saint John the Evangelist](/wiki/Saint_John_the_Evangelist); before 1147; illumination on parchment; 35.5 cm; [Avesnes-sur-Helpe](/wiki/Avesnes-sur-Helpe) (France)

The stoning of Saint Stephen; 1160s; fresco; height: 1.3 m; [Saint John Abbey](/wiki/Saint_John_Abbey,_Müstair) ([Val Müstair](/wiki/Val_Müstair), [Canton of Grisons](/wiki/Canton_of_Grisons), Switzerland)

Gothic

Main article: Gothic art

Gothic art started with architecture around 1140, but painting didn’t begin until around 1200. Gothic sculpture began in France in 1144 and spread across Europe. By the 13th century, it became the main style everywhere. International Gothic lasted from about 1360 to 1430. During this time, new kinds of art like painting and prints became very important.

Part of the Royal Portal; 1145–1155; limestone; [Chartres Cathedral](/wiki/Chartres_Cathedral) ([Chartres](/wiki/Chartres), France)

North transept windows; circa 1230–1235; stained glass; diameter (rose window): 10.2 m; Chartres Cathedral

Scenes from the Legend of Saint Vincent of Saragossa; 1245–1247; pot-metal glass, vitreous paint, and lead; overall: 373.4 x 110.5 cm; [Metropolitan Museum of Art](/wiki/Metropolitan_Museum_of_Art) (New York City)

French diptych with the coronation of the Virgin and the Last Judgment; 1260–1270; elephant ivory with metal mounts; overall: 12.7 x 13 x 1.9 cm; Metropolitan Museum of Art

Enthroned Virgin and child; 1260–1280; elephant ivory with traces of paint and gilding; overall: 18.4 x 7.6 x 7.3 cm; Metropolitan Museum of Art

Bifolium with the decretals of [gratian](/wiki/Gratian); circa 1290; tempera and gold on parchment, brown ink, and modern leather binding; overall: 48.3 x 29.2 x 1.3 cm, opened: 47.2 cm; Metropolitan Museum of Art

German diptych with religious scenes; 1300–1325; silver gilt with translucent and opaque enamels; overall (opened): 6.1 x 8.6 x 0.8 cm; Metropolitan Museum of Art

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  Page of Très Riches Heures du Duc de Berry depictic the funeral of Raymond Diocrès; 1411-1416 and 1485–1486; tempera on vellum; height: 29 cm, width: 21 cm; Condé Museum (Chantilly, France)

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  The Lady and the Unicorn, the title given to a series of six tapestries woven in Flanders, this one being called À Mon Seul Désir; late 15th century; wool and silk; 377 x 473 cm; Musée de Cluny (Paris)

Austrian statue of Enthroned Virgin; 1490–1500; limestone with [gesso](/wiki/Gesso), painted and gilded; 80.3 x 59.1 x 23.5 cm; Metropolitan Museum of Art

_Entrance in [Jerusalem](/wiki/Jerusalem)_; circa 1500; painting; [Museum of Fine Arts of Lyon](/wiki/Museum_of_Fine_Arts_of_Lyon) ([Lyon](/wiki/Lyon), France)

[Flamboyant](/wiki/Flamboyant) Gothic cross-windows of the [Hôtel de Sens](/wiki/Hôtel_de_Sens) (Paris)

Renaissance

Main article: Renaissance art

The Renaissance focused on the art of Ancient Greece and Rome. It brought changes to painting and sculpture. It started in Italy, a place with a lot of history and money to support artists.

Painters used new ways to make their work look more real. They showed distance and depth better. They also showed light and shadow to make pictures more lifelike. Sculptors used old techniques to make statues look more natural.

Art during the Renaissance showed ancient stories and Christian ideas.

In the late 1300s and early 1400s, painting in Italy was inspired by older styles. Artists like Giotto painted more of the real world. In Florence, Italy, Renaissance ideas grew. Artists like Donatello and Brunelleschi brought back old ways of making art. Masaccio painted scenes that felt real and full of feeling.

The High Renaissance had famous artists like Leonardo da Vinci, Michelangelo Buonarroti, and Raffaello Sanzio. They created beautiful works that showed great skill. Their art made artists very important.

In places like the Netherlands, artists used oil paints to make detailed and realistic pictures. Jan van Eyck was known for his careful and detailed work.

Mannerism, Baroque, and Rococo

Main articles: Mannerism, Baroque, and Rococo

Baroque art told strong stories about religion and leaders. It used rich colors and big differences between light and dark. The paintings were full of feeling and drama. Famous Baroque artists include Caravaggio, Rembrandt, Peter Paul Rubens, and Diego Velázquez.

Rococo art came after Baroque. It had lighter, more fun themes. It used pale, creamy colors and fancy decorations. Rococo paintings were graceful and happy. This style focused more on fun and nature instead of serious topics.

Neoclassicism, Romanticism, Academism, and Realism

Main articles: Neoclassicism, Romantic art, Academic art, and Realism (arts)

In the 1700s, many artists in Europe began a movement called Neoclassicism. They wanted to use the simple and strong styles of ancient Greece and Rome. They liked order, symmetry, and clear designs.

At the same time, another group called Romanticism started. They cared more about feelings and nature. Their art showed strong emotions and beautiful landscapes. They used colors to share feelings and often told stories from old myths.

Some artists mixed both styles, creating what we call Academic art.

When factories changed life in the 1800s, many people had a hard time. This led to a new style called Realism. Realist artists showed real life, including everyday scenes. They hoped to make the world better.

The time periods for these styles are:

• Neoclassicism: mid-early 18th century to early 19th century
• Romanticism: late 18th century to mid-19th century
• Realism: 19th century

Modern art

Main articles: Impressionism, Post Impressionism, Fauvism, Cubism, Modern art, Modernism, and Late modernism

After Realism, a new art style called Impressionism began. Impressionists were very good at showing light in their paintings. They tried to paint how our eyes see things. Famous Impressionists include Edgar Degas, Édouard Manet, Claude Monet, Camille Pissarro, and Pierre-Auguste Renoir. After Impressionism came Post-Impressionism, with artists like Paul Cézanne, Vincent van Gogh, Paul Gauguin, and Georges Seurat.

Then came Fauvism, the first style often called "modern" art. Fauvists used bright, wild colors in their paintings. After that, modern art grew in many new ways. Some of these were Expressionism, which focused on feelings, and Cubism, which showed the world in new flat shapes. These styles changed what people thought art could be.

Surrealism is sometimes part of Modern Art. Other types of Modern art include styles like Abstract expressionism, Art Deco, Bauhaus, and many more.

Time Period:

• Impressionism: late 19th century
• Others: First half of the 20th century

Contemporary art and Postmodern art

Main articles: Contemporary art and Postmodern art

Modern art showed early signs of what later became known as postmodern art. Some modern art styles, like pop art, can be seen as both modern and postmodern. Postmodern art often uses humor and playful ideas. It mixes different types of art, like high art and everyday art.

In recent years, art has expanded to include many new materials and ideas. Conceptual art has been very influential, focusing more on ideas than on creating physical objects. Postmodern art looks back at older art styles and uses them in new ways. This has led to a mix of different art forms, making art more open to personal expression. Many artists today draw from past styles and use them in fresh ways.