Painting is one of the world’s oldest art forms, and
studying the pictures of our ancestors has helped art historians discover a
wealth of knowledge about our past. The history of painting could fill a
lengthy book many times over, but for a quick run through of the most prominent
periods of Western art, read on.
Pre-History
The oldest known painting is approximately 40,000 years old,
and early examples of painting by Neanderthal and prehistoric humans have been
found all over the world. Painted using red ochre and black pigment, they
usually depict common animals that were hunted, such as horses, rhinos and
lions.
Middle Ages
The rise of Christianity dominated the majority of art in
the Middle Ages, which placed emphasis on traditional iconography and religious
figures. Illuminated manuscripts were one of the most common styles and were
often painstakingly hand painted with motifs and calligraphy.
Renaissance
This painting style first emerged in Italy in the 1400s, and
the Renaissance covers a vast period up to the mid 17th century. The movement
affected not only art, but also sculpture, music and literature, and is
characterised by an interest in nature, individualism, beauty and spirituality.
Famous Renaissance paintings include Da Vinci’s Mona Lisa and Michelangelo's
The Creation of Adam.
Rococo
Also known as ‘late Baroque’, this painting style emerged in
France and Italy in the 1730s, and is characterised by a highly decorative and
lavish appearance. Common subjects of Rococo paintings include young nobles,
pastoral scenes or mythology.
19th Century
The 19th century saw a rapid increase in expression and ‘art
for arts sake’ as painters discovered themes beyond religion or history.
Different movements include Romanticism, which saw a focus on landscapes,
Impressionism with its distinct, visible small brush strokes and Symbolism,
which drew inspiration from dreams and mythology.
20th Century and beyond
Painters including Van Gogh, Gauguin and Matisse were
central to the development of modern art as we know it. One of the first
emerging movements of the 20th century was Fauvism; a multi-coloured,
expressive style that depicted both landscapes and figures. By contrast, Cubism
was far more analytical, with a focus on geometric form. Picasso is arguably the
most famous of the Cubist painters, with works including Guernica and The
Weeping Woman.
The latter half of the 20th century saw emerging styles
including Pop Art from artists Andy Warhol and Roy Lichtenstein, abstract art
(Kavinsky is one of this movement’s most well known artists) and
neo-expressionism, which emerged in the late 1970s and depicts familiar objects
in a colourful, emotive style.
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