A Concise Survey of the Art of Western Civilization
The arts of painting, sculpture, and architecture offer another way to understand and appreciate the history of Western Civilization. What follows is a concise survey of trends in the visual and constructive arts and how the help explain the various periods of history.
See also, websites with large collections of art in general,
websites of museums,
and materials for studying classic themes in the history of Western art.
1. Introduction to Western Art History
2. Wanderers and Settlers: The Ancient Middle East to 400 B.C.
A. PRE-CIVILIZED ART, Painting/Graphic Arts | Sculpture | Architecture
B. POST-AGRICULTURAL ART, Architecture
C. MESOPOTAMIAN ART, Painting/Graphic Arts | Sculpture | Architecture
D. EGYPTIAN ART, Painting/Graphic Arts | Sculpture | Architecture
3. The Chosen People: Hebrews and Jews, from 2000 B.C. to A.D. 135
4. Trial of the Hellenes: The Ancient Greeks, 1200 B.C. to A.D. 146
A. ARCHAIC GREEK ART (800-500 B.C.,) Painting/Graphic Arts | Sculpture
B. CLASSICAL GREEK ART (ART of CLASSICAL ANTIQUITY, part I) (500-338 B.C.) Painting/Graphic Arts | Sculpture | Architecture
C. HELLENISTIC ART (338-146 B.C.), Painting/Graphic Arts | Sculpture | Architecture
5. Imperium Romanum: The Romans, 753 B.C. to A.D. 300
ROMAN ART (ART of CLASSICAL ANTIQUITY, part II,) Painting/Graphic Arts | Sculpture | Architecture
6. The Revolutionary Rabbi: Christianity, the Roman Empire, and Islam, 4 B.C. to A.D. 1453
EARLY CHRISTIAN ART, Painting/Graphic Arts | Sculpture | Architecture
7. From Old Rome to the New West: The Early Middle Ages, A.D. 500 to 1000
EARLY MEDIEVAL ART, Painting/Graphic Arts | Sculpture | Architecture
8. The Medieval Mêlée: The High and Later Middle Ages, 1000 to 1500
A. ROMANESQUE ART (1000-1200), Painting/Graphic Arts | Sculpture | Architecture
B. GOTHIC ART (1150-1500), Painting/Graphic Arts | Sculpture | Architecture
9. Making the Modern World: The Renaissance and Reformation, 1400 to 1648
A. RENAISSANCE ART (1400-1600), Painting/Graphic Arts | Sculpture | Architecture
B. MANNERISM (1500-1600)
10. Liberation of Mind and Body: Early Modern Europe, 1543 to 1815
A. FLEMISH BAROQUE, Painting/Graphic Arts | Sculpture | Architecture
B. DUTCH BAROQUE, Painting/Graphic Arts | Architecture
C. NEO-CLASSICISM (1750-1850), Painting/Graphic Arts | Sculpture | Architecture
11. Mastery of the Machine: The Industrial Revolution, 1764 to 1914
A. ROMANTICISM (1770-1871), Painting/Graphic Arts | Architecture
B. ART NOUVEAU (1890-1914)
C. REALISM (1850-1900), Painting/Graphic Arts
D. PHOTOGRAPHY
E. IMPRESSIONISM (1874-1920), Painting/Graphic Arts | Sculpture
F. The POST-IMPRESSIONISTS, Cézanne, Gauguin, Van Gogh
12. The Westerner’s Burden: Imperialism and Nationalism, 1810 to 1918
A. EXPRESSIONISM (1900-1930)
B. CUBISM (1907-1940)
C. ABSTRACT ART (1909-)
13. Rejections of Democracy: The InterWar Years and World War II, 1917 to 1945
A. SURREALISM (1924-1975)
B. PICASSO
C. SOCIALIST REALISM (1920-)
14. A World Divided: The Early Cold War, 1945 to 1993
A. Painting/Graphic Arts: ABSTRACT EXPRESSIONISM (1945-)
B. POP ART (1960s-); Photo-Realism | Minimalism | Conceptual Art
C. Architecture: INTERNATIONAL STYLE (1920s-)
15. Into the Future: The Contemporary Era, 1991 to the Present
Painting/Graphic Arts | Sculpture | Architecture
