Culture
Art Movements
Major art movements throughout history, from ancient to contemporary, with key artists and descriptions.
artmovementsculturepaintinghistory
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Movement↕ | Era↕ | Key Artists↕ | Description↕ |
|---|---|---|---|
| Renaissance | 14th-17th c. | Da Vinci, Michelangelo, Raphael | Rebirth of classical art and humanism. Perspective, anatomy, and naturalism. |
| Baroque | 17th-18th c. | Caravaggio, Rembrandt, Bernini | Drama, rich color, grandeur. Counter-Reformation art. |
| Rococo | 18th c. | Watteau, Boucher, Fragonard | Lighthearted, ornamental, pastel colors. Aristocratic elegance. |
| Neoclassicism | 18th-19th c. | David, Ingres, Canova | Return to classical Greek/Roman ideals. Order, symmetry, heroism. |
| Romanticism | Late 18th-19th c. | Delacroix, Turner, Friedrich | Emotion over reason. Nature, passion, individualism. |
| Realism | Mid-19th c. | Courbet, Millet, Daumier | Everyday life and ordinary people. Rejection of idealization. |
| Impressionism | 1860s-1880s | Monet, Renoir, Degas | Capturing light and movement. Visible brushstrokes, open composition. |
| Post-Impressionism | 1880s-1900s | Van Gogh, Cezanne, Gauguin | Extended Impressionism with structure, symbolism, and emotion. |
| Art Nouveau | 1890-1910 | Klimt, Mucha, Gaudi | Organic, flowing lines. Natural forms applied to architecture and design. |
| Fauvism | 1905-1908 | Matisse, Derain, Vlaminck | Bold, wild colors. Simplified forms. 'Les Fauves' — the wild beasts. |
| Expressionism | 1905-1920s | Munch, Kirchner, Kandinsky | Distortion and exaggeration for emotional effect. Inner experience over reality. |
| Cubism | 1907-1920s | Picasso, Braque, Gris | Multiple perspectives, geometric forms. Revolutionary break from tradition. |
| Futurism | 1909-1944 | Boccioni, Balla, Severini | Speed, technology, modernity. Dynamism and energy. |
| Dadaism | 1916-1924 | Duchamp, Tzara, Man Ray | Anti-art. Absurdity, collage, readymades. Response to WWI. |
| Surrealism | 1924-1960s | Dali, Magritte, Ernst | Dreams, the unconscious, unexpected juxtapositions. Influenced by Freud. |
| Abstract Expressionism | 1940s-1960s | Pollock, Rothko, de Kooning | Gestural abstraction. Action painting and color field. New York School. |
| Pop Art | 1950s-1960s | Warhol, Lichtenstein, Hockney | Mass culture, advertising, and consumerism as art. Bold, graphic style. |
| Minimalism | 1960s-1970s | Judd, LeWitt, Flavin | Extreme simplicity. Geometric forms, industrial materials. 'Less is more.' |
| Conceptual Art | 1960s-present | Kosuth, Hirst, Ai Weiwei | Idea over aesthetics. The concept is the artwork. |
| Street Art / Graffiti | 1970s-present | Banksy, Basquiat, Shepard Fairey | Art in public spaces. Social commentary, spray paint, stencils. |
| Postmodernism | 1970s-present | Koons, Sherman, Kruger | Rejection of grand narratives. Irony, pastiche, blurred boundaries. |
| Mughal Miniature Painting | 16th-19th c. | Daswanth, Basawan, Mansur | Detailed Persian-Indian court painting. Portraits, nature, stories. Pakistan/India heritage. |
| Islamic Calligraphy | 7th c.-present | Ibn Muqla, Sadiqain, various | Arabic script as visual art. Geometric patterns, sacred texts. Central to Pakistani art. |
| Digital Art | 1990s-present | Beeple, Refik Anadol, various | Art created with digital technology. NFTs, generative art, AI art. |
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