Art of Emerging Europe

Topics:
ART OF EMERGING EUROPE
 
Objectives: By the end of this lesson, you should be able to:
 

1. Identify the major periods in Western art history;

2. Compare and contrast the artworks produced during the different time periods and art
movements; and
3. Discuss the importance of art to the development of Western culture.
Introduction
           

            Art has been an integral part in European history. From the time of the
ancient civilizations like the Greeks and the Romans all the way to the modern
times, art has been used to communicate ideologies and belief systems prevalent
within their context. Greek and Roman Civilizations were also known as the
Classical World because both cultures aimed to embody the highest possible
standard of quality in all aspects of their societies. When it comes to both art and
architecture, both civilizations intended to promote the possibility of having an
objective and widely accepted standards for beauty. The influence and impact of
both classical worlds are far-reaching. Most art movements have taken inspiration
from the certain artistic elements from the two civilizations. There are different art
movements that emerged within the different time periods in Europe. Each
movement has a distinctive characteristic to them highlighting the different trends
and changes as they transition from one period to the next.
 
 
DISCUSSIONS:
 
The Major Periods in Western Art History
 

1. Ancient Greece
2. Ancient Rome
3. Middle Ages
4. Renaissance art
5. Mannerism
6. Baroque and Rococo
7. Neoclassicism
 
ANCIENT GREECE
 Ancient Greek art stands out among that of other ancient culture for its development of
naturalistic but idealized depictions of the human body, in which largely nude male figures were
generally the focus of innovation. The rate of stylistic development between about 750 and 300
BC was remarkable by ancient standards, and in surviving works is best seen in sculpture.
 

                                           

                                                            Ancient Greece                                                 
Lacoon and His Sons
 
The art of ancient Greece is usually divided stylistically into four periods.
 
 

1.       Geometric Art is phase of Greek art, characterized largely by geometric motifs in

vase painting. ( 900 BC- 700 BC )
                                 
                                          The Hirschfeld Krater                                              The Dipylon Amphora                        
                                     Mid 8 th
 Century BC                                               Mid-8th Century BC with human figures

Archaic Art is characterized by a shift towards representational and naturalistic styles.  It was
the period in which monumental sculpture was introduced to Greece, and in which Greek pottery
styles wen through great changes, from the repeating patterns of the late geometric period to the
earliest red figure vases.
                                                         
                
                                                          Kore of Nikandre                                                                                                     
Greeks Pottery Styles

 
Classical Art saw changes in the style and function of sculpture. Poses became more naturalistic
and the technical skill of Greek sculptors in depicting the human form in a variety of poses
greatly increased. From about 500 BC statues began to depict real people.
                                                                              

                                                            The Artemission Bronze                                                              Michaelangelo,

David

Hellenistic art is the art of the Hellenistic period generally taken to begin with the death of
Alexander the Great in 323 BC and end with the conquest of the Greek world by the Romans. A
number of the best-known works of Greek sculpture belong to this period.
                                                                                     

                                                  The Venus de Milo, discovered at the Greek island                  The Winged Victory of
Samothrace, from the Island of of Milos,
                                                                           130-100 BC, Louvre                                                                     
Samothrace

 
ANCIENT ROME (500 BC-500 AD)
 
Roman art was influenced by Greece and can in part be taken as a descendant of ancient
Greek painting and sculpture, but was also strongly influenced by the more local Etruscan art of
Italy. Roman sculpture is primarily portraiture derived from the upper classes of society as well
as depictions of the gods. However, Roman painting does have important unique characteristics.
Among surviving Roman paintings are wall paintings.
 Almost all of the surviving painted portraits from the Ancient world are a large number of
coffin-portraits of bust form.

                                                                                        

                                                               Mummy portrait of a young girl, 2nd century                  Bust of

“Mondragone” Antinous

 
Early Medieval art/Migration period art is a general term for the art of the “barbarian”
peoples who moved into formerly Roman territories. Celtic art in the 7 th and 8th centuries saw a
fusion with Germanic traditions through contact with the Anglo-Saxons creating what is called
the Hiberno-Saxon style or Insular art, which was to be highly influential on the rest of the
Middle Ages.
 
Illuminated manuscripts contain nearly all the surviving painting of the period, but architecture,
metalwork and small carved work in wood or ivory were also important media.
                                                                                
                                                                              Book of Kells, Folio 292r, Incipit to John
 
Byzantine art overlaps with or merges with what we call Early Christian art until the
iconoclasm period of 730-843 when the vast majority of artwork with figures was destroyed; so
little remains that today any discovery sheds new understanding. After 843 until 1453 ther is a
clear Byzantine art tradition.
 
     It is often the finest art of the Middle Ages in terms of quality of material and
workmanship, with production centered on Constantinople. Byzantine art’s crowning
achievement were the monumental frescos and mosaics inside domed churches, most of
which have not survived due to natural disasters and the appropriation of churches to
mosques.

                                             
                                                                                                 The Handy Table of Ptolemy
 
RENAISSANCE ART
 
      The Renaissance is characterized by a focus on the arts of Ancient Greece and Rome,
which led to many changes in both the technical aspects of painting and sculpture, as well
as to their subject matter. It began in Italy, a country rich in Roman heritage as well as
material prosperity to fund artists. During the Renaissance, painters began to enhance the
realism of their work by using new techniques in perspective, thus representing three
dimensions more authentically.

                              

                                                                            Renaissance Painting                          Vitruvian Man

 
Romanesque art refers to the period from about 1000 to the rise of Gothic art in the
12th century. This was a period of increasing prosperity, and the first to see a coherent style used
across Europe, from Scandinavia to Switzerland.
 
      Romanesque art is vigorous and direct, was originally brightly coloured, and is often
very sophisticated.
                                     
                                                                           Detail of God addressing Jeremiah.
 
MANNERISM
     Mannerism a reaction against the idealist perfection of Classicism, employed distortion
of light and spatial frameworks in order to emphasize the emotional content of a painting
and the emotions of the painter.
                                                                      

                                                  Madonna with the Long Neck Painting                      The Noble man

with his hand on his chest
 
Rococo art was characterized by lighter, often jocular themes; common characteristics included
pale, creamy colors, florid decorations and a penchant for bucolic landscapes. Paintings were
more ornate than their Baroque counterpart, and usually graceful, playful and light-hearted in
nature.
                            

 
                                                                                            Rococo Art Paintings
 
BAROQUE and ROCOCO
 
     Baroque art took the representationalism of the Renaissance to new heights,
emphasizing detail, movement, lighting, and drama in their search for beauty.
    Baroque art was characterized by strongly religious and political themes; common
characteristics included rich colors with a strong light and dark contrast. Paintings were
elaborate, emotional and dramatic in nature.

                                                                           
                                                                                     Baroque Art
 
NEOCLASSICISM
     Neoclassicism was the artistic component of the intellectual movement known as the
Enlightenment; the Enlightenment was idealistic, and put it in emphasis on objectivity,
reason and empirical truth.
     Neoclassical art, inspired by different classical themes, was characterized by an
emphasis on simplicity, order and idealism.

                               

                                                                                                       Neoclassicism Art
 
ROMANTICISM
 
     Romanticism, as an art movement, used the central themes of Neoclassicist artworks as
a springboard. Romanticists have highlighted heroic elements their work. During the Age
of Revolutions, there has been a tremendous focus on patriotic and nationalistic
movements. One of the major revolutions in history would be the French Revolution.
Such revolutionary movements became the focal point of most Romantic works.
      The major and central themes of Romanticism movement include the emphasis on the
goodness of mankind. Most works also promoted justice, equality and social order.
Artists also emphasized emotions and feelings of man, which was a deviation from the
humanist principles of rationalism.
                                                                                   

 
                                                                                                                                                      Romanticism
Art

 
Realism
            Realism as a style of work focuses on the accuracy of details that depicts and somehow
mirrors reality. There is little room for imagination in this movement since emphasis is placed in
observable traits that can concretize through artworks. Realism was heavily influenced by
Hellenistic Greek culture since most artworks during that period placed emphasis on the human
body.
            Realism as a modern movement in art veered away from traditional forms of art. In a
way, it revolutionized themes and techniques in paintings. In addition, this movement also
expanded and widened existing notions of what can be considered as art. Since artists worked
within the context of revolutions and social change, artistic works began to depict real-life
events. Idealistic concepts and images were replaced by real manifestations of society. There is a
move to combine both art and life in artistic works since the modern world were suitable for
subjects of art. This movement also reexamined existing belief systems and traditions.
                                                       

                                                                   Realism Art, The Famous

Paintings                            Gustav Courbet, “Burial at Ornans”
Impressionism
The Impressionism movement started in France, which led to a break from the tradition
in European painting. Impressionism is a style of painting that emerged in the mid- to late 1800s.
Impressionist artists incorporated scientific principles to achieve a more distinct representation of
color. The distinctive characteristic of this style is that it allows the artist to emphasize the
immediate impression he has of a particular event or scene. The said impression is
communicated by the artist through his work and can be seen through the and the lights and
shadows used by the artist.

                                 
                                                                          Berthe Morisot: “The Harbor at Lorient”      
Post-Impressionism
 It is an art movement that emerged in France, which is a result of both the influence and
rejection of Impressionism. Most artists that belong to this movement started off as
impressionists but later on saw the inherent limitations and flaws of impressionism. This
eventually led to the development of individual style that gave emphasis to defining from with
the use of broken colors and short brush stroke. Some of the famous post-impressionism artists
include Paul Cezanne, Georges Seurat, Paul Gauguin, and Vincent van Gogh, among others.
Most of the works of the said painters became the framework of the contemporary techniques
and trends during the twentieth century.
 
Neo-Impressionism
 As an art movement, neo-impressionism is considered as a response to empirical realism
of impressionism. Most painters who subscribe to such movement rely on a systematic and
scientific techniques that have a predetermined visual effects not only on the art work itself but
also how the audience perceive the art. The leading figure in neo-impressionism was Georges
Seurat who recorded optical sensations on a more scientific manner. His color theories paved the
way for the technique called pointillism. This an technique basically utilizes discrete dots and
dashes of pure color. These elements are believed to blend with the viewer's perspective. Aside
from Seurat, other neo-impressionist artists include Henri-Edmond Cross, Maximilien Luce, and
Camille Pissarro, among others.
Art Nouveau
 
Between 1890 and 1910, countries from Europe and the United States witnessed the
emergence and flourishing of a new art style. This ornamental style of art was a break from the
Conservative historicism, which was the prevailing and dominant theme of most Western
artworks. This ornamental style uses long and organic lines that are concretely manifested in
architecture, jewelry and glass design, among others. In most works, the defining characteristic
of Art Nouveau is the asymmetrical line that usually is in the form of insect wings or flower
stalks. The line is done in such a graceful and elegant manner that somehow evokes a certain
power to it.
 
 Fauvism
 This is a style of painting that emerged in France around the turn of the twentieth century. What
makes fauvists revolutionary is that they used pure and vibrant colors by applying straight from
the paint tubes directly to the canvas. This is done to produce a sense of explosion of colors in
the canvas. The fauves, just like the impressionists, painted directly from nature. The difference
lies with how the fauves have this strong and expressive reaction to how they portray their
subjects. Most fauvist works reject the conservative and traditional renderings of three-
dimensional space. What artists did was they introduced and promoted a picture space that is
defined by the movement of color.
 
 
 
 Cubism
 Between 1907 and 1914, French artists Pablo Picasso and Georges Braque introduced a new
visual arts style called cubism. This style would later on have a huge influence on artists during
the twentieth century. Cubists highlighted the two dimensional surface of the picture plane.
Focusing on a flat surface was a rejection of the dominant techniques like the use of perspective,
foreshortening, and modeling. In addition, one of the things that cubism rejected was the existing
and prevailing notion that art should imitate nature. Cubists emphasized that they are not in any
way obliged to copy texture, form, color, and space. They presented a new depiction of reality
that may appear fragmented objects for viewers.
 
 Futurism
 It is an early twentieth century art movement that started in Italy, which highlighted the speed,
energy, dynamism and power of machines. In addition, common themes for works in this
movement are restlessness and the fast-pace of modern life. Later On, the movement's influence
branched out not only in Europe but also in Russia. The greatest impact of futurism is evident in
poetry and visual arts.