Art of Europe

The art of Europe, also known as Western art, tells the story of visual art made by people in Europe over many thousands of years. It began a very long time ago with prehistoric art, including Upper Paleolithic rock and cave painting, and continued through many different times and places. Written records of this art start with the Aegean civilizations from around 3000 BC, but the patterns become clearer with Ancient Greek art. The Greeks influenced Rome, and their art spread across the Roman Empire to many parts of Europe, North Africa, and Western Asia.

The art of the Classical period came and went over two thousand years, almost disappearing during the Medieval time but returning strongly in the Renaissance. Some thought it became weaker in the Baroque period, but it came back in newer forms like Neo-Classicism and Post-Modernism.

For a long time, the Christian church played a big role in creating art, giving artists many jobs. But people also began to paint about myths from ancient times, big battles, brave heroes, and stories that had nothing to do with religion. In the past two hundred years, most art has not been about religion or any particular ideology, though it has often been shaped by politics.

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

Prehistoric art

Main article: Prehistoric art § Europe

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

Some of the oldest cave art in Europe is found in places like the El Castillo Cave in Spain, where paintings are about 40,800 years old. Famous sites such as Lascaux in France and Altamira in Spain show amazing paintings of animals. These early artists used simple tools to create lasting 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 imaginative pictures and skilled craftsmanship. 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 religious 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 produced 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 also had its own style. 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 real in a very clever way.

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, bringing many changes to painting and sculpture. It started in Italy, a place rich in history and with enough money to support artists. During this time, painters used new ways to make their work look more real, like better ways to show distance and depth. They also used new methods to show light and shadow, making their pictures more lifelike. Sculptors also rediscovered old techniques, making their statues more natural and lifelike. Art during the Renaissance often showed both ancient stories and Christian ideas.

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

The High Renaissance included famous artists like Leonardo da Vinci, Michelangelo Buonarroti, and Raffaello Sanzio. They created masterpieces that showed amazing skill and beauty. Their work helped raise the status of artists, making art as important as poetry.

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

Mannerism, Baroque, and Rococo

Main articles: Mannerism, Baroque, and Rococo

Baroque art focused on strong religious and political themes. It used rich colors with strong contrasts between light and dark. The paintings were detailed, emotional, and dramatic. Famous Baroque artists include Caravaggio, Rembrandt, Peter Paul Rubens, and Diego Velázquez.

Rococo art, which came after Baroque, had lighter and more playful themes. It used pale, creamy colors and ornate decorations. Rococo paintings were graceful, playful, and light-hearted. This style focused less on serious topics and more on fun and nature.

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 go back to the simple and strong styles of ancient Greece and Rome, instead of the fancy Rococo style. They liked order, symmetry, and clear designs. This style was also linked to big ideas about reason and truth.

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 their feelings and often told stories from old myths.

Some artists tried to mix both styles, creating what we call Academic art. They used ideas from both Neoclassicism and Romanticism.

When factories changed life in the 1800s, many people faced hard times. This led to a new style called Realism. Realist artists showed real life, including the struggles of poor people, hoping to make the world better. They painted everyday scenes instead of just pretty nature.

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

From Realism came a big art movement called Impressionism. The Impressionists were great at showing light in their paintings, trying to capture how our eyes see it. 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.

Next was Fauvism, often called the first "modern" art style. The Fauvists used bright, wild colors in their paintings. After that, modern art grew in many directions. Some of these included Expressionism, which focused on feelings, and Cubism, which showed the world in new flat ways. These art styles changed what people thought art could be, matching big changes in the world, technology, and ideas.

Surrealism is sometimes seen as part of Modern Art. Other types of Modern art include many different 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, irony, and playful ideas. It mixes different types of art, like high art and more everyday art, making it harder to tell them apart.

In recent years, art has expanded to include many new materials, ideas, and activities. 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 and ideas, making art more open to personal expression. Many artists today draw from past styles, like Gothic or Baroque art, and use them in fresh and interesting ways.