History of Art

UNIT I
INTRODUCTION TO ART
Part A (Prehistoric Period - Middle Ages)

Origin and evolution of art as human cognition, representation, expression. Role of art. Understanding
representation in art - naturalistic, realistic, symbolic, stylistic, abstract, non­objective art, etc., through study of
important works across history from different cultures of the world.
Stone Age - Prehistoric Period (30,000 b.c.–2500 b.c.)
Cave painting, fertility goddesses, megalithic structures

People live in caves & survive by hunting and gathering that gradually evolve into learning how to use tools to
make things • No organized government or religion so art is made for practical purposes to help with hunt or
please natural forces • Art is made from natural resources like crushed berries and rock and sticks for brushes

Lion-man or the Lion-human of Hohlenstein-Stadel

Human with feline head, from Hohlenstein-Stadel, Germany, ca. 30,000–28,000 bce. Mammoth ivory, 11 5/8 ″ high.
Ulmer Museum, Ulm.

❖ One of the oldest known sculptures is this large ivory figure of a human with a feline head. It is
uncertain whether the work depicts a composite creature or a human wearing an animal mask.
❖ It was found in pieces inside the cave, and then was put back together

Venus of Willendorf

Nude woman (Venus of Willendorf), from Willendorf, Austria,

ca. 28,000–25,000 bce. Limestone, 4.4 in″ high. Naturhistorisches Museum, Vienna.
❖ The Venus of Willendorf is a 4.4-inch tall carving discovered in Willendorf, Austria. It is believed to have been crafted
between 30,000 and 25,000 BCE, making it one of the world's oldest known works of art. Carved from limestone decoratively
tinged with red ochre, the statuette depicts a female nude.

❖ The anatomical exaggerations in this tiny figurine from Willendorf are typical of Paleolithic representations of women,
whose child-bearing capabilities ensured the survival of the species.
 Venus of Laussel

Woman holding a bison horn, from Laussel, France,

ca. 25,000–20,000 bce. Painted limestone, 1′ 6″ high. Muséed’Aquitaine, Bordeaux.

❖ One of the oldest known relief sculptures depicts a woman who holds a bison horn and whose left arm
draws attention to her belly. Scholars continue to debate the meaning of the gesture and the horn.

Tuc d'Audoubert Cave Bison Sculpture

 Two bison, reliefs in the cave at Le Tuc d’Audoubert, France,
ca. 15,000–10,000 bce.

❖ The bison reliefs are two feet in length, eighteen inches in height and about 3-4 inches deep. They are modelled in
clay, and their surface was given a wet finish in order to make them smooth. ... Also in the chamber are two other bison
figures, both engraved on the ground.
Lascaux Cave Painting
 Rhinoceros, wounded man, and disemboweled bison, painting in the well of the cave at Lascaux,
France, ca. 16,000–14,000 bce. Bison 3′ 4 1/2 ″ long.

❖ these paintings of two animals and a bird-faced (masked?) man deep in a Lascaux well shaft depict a hunting
scene, they constitute the earliest example of narrative art ever discovered.
 ALTAMIRA
ca.13,000–11,000 bce.
Spain
 Bison, detail of a painted ceiling in the cave at Altamira, Spain, ca.
13,000–11,000 bce. Standing bison 5′ 2 1/2″ long.

❖ As in other Paleolithic caves, the painted ceiling at Altamira has no ground line or indication of setting. The artist’s
sole concern was to represent the animals, not to locate them in a specific place.
 Bhimbetka
13,000 BC to 12,700 BC
Bhopal, India.

Subject: Animals like tiger, bison, wild boar, rhinoceros, monkeys, elephants, lizards, antelopes,
 World's 'oldest known cave painting' found in Indonesia
45,500 years old

This painting of a wild pig in the Leang Tedongnge cave on the Indonesian island of Sulawesi is thought to be the oldest
representational art in the world
 Stone temple

Aerial view of the ruins of Hagar Qim (looking east), Malta,

ca. 3200–2500 bce.

❖ The 5,000-year-old stone temple at Hagar Qim on the remote island of Malta is remarkably sophisticated for
its date, especially in the way the Neolithic (New Stone Age -10000 - 4500 BC) builders incorporated both rectilinear and
curved forms.
 STONEHENGE

Aerial view of Stonehenge (looking northwest), Salisbury Plain, Wiltshire, England, ca. 2550–1600 bce.
Circle 97′ in diameter; trilithons 24′ high.

❖ The circles of trilithons at Stonehenge probably functioned as an astronomical observatory and solar
calendar. The sun rises over its “heel stone” at the summer solstice. Some of the megaliths weigh 50 tons.

❖ There is strong archaeological evidence that Stonehenge was used as a burial site, at least for part of its
long history, but most scholars believe it served other functions as well—either as a ceremonial site, a religious
pilgrimage destination, a final resting place for royalty or a memorial erected to honor.
Mesopotamia and Persia (3500 b.c.– 636 b.c.)
Warrior art and narration in stone relief
 WHITE TEMPLE, URUK

White Temple and ziggurat, Uruk (modern Warka), Iraq, ca. 3200–3000 bce.

❖ Using only mud bricks, the Sumerians erected temple platforms called ziggurats several centuries
before the Egyptians built stone pyramids. The most famous ziggurat was the biblical Tower of Babel.

❖ The White Temple at Uruk was probably dedicated to Anu, the sky god. It had a central hall (cella) with a
stepped altar. There, the Sumerian priests would await the apparition of the deity.
 STANDARD OF UR

War side of the Standard of Ur, from tomb 779, Royal Cemetery, Ur (modern Tell Muqayyar), Iraq, ca. 2600–2400 bce.
Wood, lapis lazuli, shell, and red limestone, 8″ × 1′ 7″. British Museum, London.

❖ Using a mosaic-like technique, this Sumerian artist depicted a battlefield victory in three registers.
The narrative reads from bottom to top, and the size of the figures varies with their importance in society.

❖ The Standard of Ur is a box, the two large sides of which show aspects of life in early Mesopotamia. The purpose of
the object remains unknown. Woolley though it might have been mounted on a pole and carried – hence its name. Others
think it may be the sounding box of a lyre
 AKKADIAN PORTRAITURE

Head of an Akkadian ruler, from Nineveh (modern Kuyunjik), Iraq, ca. 2250–2200 bce. Copper, 1′ 23–8 ″ high.
National Museum of Iraq, Baghdad.

❖ The sculptor of this oldest known life-size hollow-cast head captured the distinctive features of the ruler
while also displaying a keen sense of abstract pattern. Vandals damaged the head in antiquity.
 Ziggurat

Ziggurat (looking southwest), Ur (modern Tell Muqayyar), Iraq, ca. 2100 bce.

● The Ur ziggurat is one of the largest in Mesopotamia. It has three (restored) ramp-like stairways of a
hundred steps each that originally ended at a gateway to a brick temple, which does not survive.
 ASSYRIAN AND NEO - BABYLONIAN ART
Ca. 900 - 539 BCE

PALACE OF ASHURBANIPAL

Assyrian archers pursuing enemies, relief from the northwest palace of Ashurnasirpal II, Kalhu (modern Nimrud), Iraq,
ca. 875–860 BCE.
Gypsum, 2′ 105–8 ″ high. British Museum, London.

● Extensive reliefs exalting the king and recounting his great deeds have been found in several Assyrian
palaces. This one depicts Ashurnasirpal II’s archers driving the enemy into the Euphrates River.
 Ishtar Gate

Ishtar Gate (restored), Babylon, Iraq, ca. 575 bce.

Vorderasiatisches Museum, Staatliche Museen zu Berlin,Berlin.

Nebuchadnezzar II’s Babylon was one of the ancient world’s greatest cities and boasted two of the Seven
Wonders. Its Ishtar Gate featured glazed-brick reliefs of Marduk and Nabu’s dragon and Adad’s bull.
EGYPT UNDER THE PHARAOHS (3500 b.c.–30 b.c.)
Art with an afterlife focus: pyramids and tomb painting

PALETTE OF KING NARMER

Front of the palette of King Narmer (compare FIG. 3-1), from Hierakonpolis, Egypt, Predynastic,
ca. 3000–2292 BCE Slate, 2′ 1″ high. Egyptian Museum, Cairo.
3200-3000 BCE. The palette is carved of a single piece of siltstone, commonly used for ceremonial tablets in the
First Dynastic Period of Egypt. The Narmer Palette is intricately carved to tell the story of King Narmer's victory
in battle and the approval of the gods at the unification of Egypt.

Narmer, king of Upper Egypt, wears the crown of Lower Egypt as he reviews the beheaded enemy bodies. Below,
the intertwined animal necks may symbolize the unification of the two kingdoms.

Imhotep

● Imhotep (Greek name, Imouthes, c. 2667-2600 BCE) was an Egyptian polymath (a person expert in many areas of
learning) best known as the architect of King Djoser's Step Pyramid at Saqqara. His name means "He Who Comes in
Peace" and he is the only Egyptian besides Amenhotep to be fully deified.

● In time, he became the god of wisdom and medicine (or, according to some sources, the god of science, medicine,
and architecture). Imhotep was a priest, vizier to King Djoser (and possibly to the succeeding three kings of the Third
Dynasty), a poet, physician, mathematician, astronomer, and architect.
 Model of the pyramid complex, Gizeh, Egypt. Harvard University Semitic Museum, Cambridge.
(1) pyramid of Menkaure, (2) pyramid of Khafre, (3) mortuary temple of Khafre, (4) causeway, (5) Great
Sphinx, (6) valley temple of Khafre, (7) pyramid of Khufu, (8) pyramids of the royal family, and mastabas of nobles.
 Great Sphinx (with pyramid of Khafre in the background at left ), Gizeh, Egypt, Fourth Dynasty,
ca. 2520–2494 bce. Sandstone, 65′ × 240′.

Carved out of the Gizeh stone quarry, the Great Sphinx is of colossal size. The sphinx has the body of a
lion and the head of a pharaoh (probably Khafre) and is associated with the sun god.
 ABU SIMBEL

Facade of the temple of Ramses II, Abu Simbel, Egypt, 19th Dynasty,
ca. 1290–1224 BCE. Sandstone, colossi 65′ high.

Four rock-cut images of Ramses II dominate the facade of his mortuary temple at Abu Simbel in Nubia. The colossal
portraits are a dozen times the height of a man, even though the pharaoh is seated.
 Nebamun

Nebamun hunting fowl, from the tomb of Nebamun, Thebes, Egypt, 18th Dynasty,
ca. 1400–1350 BCE. Fresco secco, 2′ 8″ high. British Museum, London.

Nebamun’s wife and daughter—depicted smaller than the deceased—accompany him on his hunt for fowl. An
inscription states that Nebamun is enjoying recreation in his eternal afterlife.
 FAMILY OF AKHENATON

Akhenaton, Nefertiti, and three daughters, from Amarna, Egypt, 18th Dynasty,
ca. 1353–1335 bce. Limestone, 1′ 1–4″ high. Ägyptisches Museum, Berlin.

● In this sunken relief, the Amarna artist provided a rare intimate look at the royal family in a domestic setting.
Akhenaton, Nefertiti, and three of their daughters bask in the life-giving rays of Aton, the sun disk.
 TUTANKHAMEN

Death mask of Tutankhamen, from the innermost coffin in his tomb at Thebes, Egypt, 18th Dynasty,
ca. 1323 BCE. Gold with inlay of semi-precious stones, 1′ 91–4″ high.
Egyptian Museum, Cairo.

● The treasures in Tutankhamen’s tomb include this mummy mask portraying the teenaged pharaoh with idealized
features and wearing the traditional false beard and uraeus cobra headdress.
 Last judgment of Hunefer

Last judgment of Hunefer, from his tomb at Thebes, Egypt, 19th Dynasty, ca. 1300–1290 BCE. Painted papyrus scroll, 1′ 6″ high.
British Museum, London.

● The Book of the Dead contained spells and prayers. This scroll depicts the weighing of Hunefer’s heart against Maat’s
feather before the deceased can be presented to Osiris, god of the Underworld.
Greek and Hellenistic (850 b.c.–31 b.c.)
Greek idealism: balance, perfect proportions; architectural Orders

❖ The first glimpse at high realism in art

❖ Perfection in art is more important than portraying reality
❖ Symmetry in sculptural work is crucial to the Greeks
❖ Temples are created to pay tribute to Gods and Goddesses
❖ Ceiling-less architecture is more about the attributed God or Goddess rather than cover from the elements
❖ Clay vessels are created for function, storytelling, and aesthetics
❖ Very few Greek artworks remain due to the Romans wiping out much of the Greek Culture

Chief Artists and Major Works:

Parthenon, Myron, Phidias, Polykleitos, Praxiteles

• Archaic Period (c.650-480 BCE) - The Archaic era was a period of gradual experimentation.

• Classical Period (c.480-323 BCE) - The Classical era then witnessed the flowering of mainland Greek power and
artistic domination.

• Hellenistic Period (c.323-27 BCE) - The Hellenistic Period, which opened with the death of Alexander the Great,
witnessed the creation of "Greek-style art" throughout the region, as more and more centres/colonies of Greek culture were
established in Greek-controlled lands. The period also saw the decline and fall of Greece and the rise of Rome
 Parthenon
447 BC and 432 BC

It was a temple to honour the goddess Athena for nearly 900 years and originally had a huge idol to her. The name Parthenon
means the virgin's place in Greek. It was built between 447 BC and 432 BC during the reign of Pericles. It is considered one of
ancient Greece's greatest architectural accomplishments.
 Myron
480BC-440BC (approximately)

Myron was one of the greatest sculptors of Early Classical Greek sculpture. He was famed for his sculptures of
powerful athletes and life-like animals. He produced mainly bronze sculptures and was considered a versatile and
innovative artist in his time.

"Discobolus" by Greek sculptor Myron, one of the most famous masterpieces of the classical period
 Phidias
Pedius was a Greek sculptor, painter, and architect. His statue of Zeus in Olympia is one of the Seven Wonders of
the World.
● The statue of Zeus of Olympia was carved in Greece in 433 BC by the Greek sculptor Pedias. It is considered one
of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World. In 394 AD, it is said to have been taken to the city of Constantinople, where it
caught fire.
 ancient Greek artworks

Pergamon Altar(180-160BC). Athena against the giant Alcyoneus. The Siren vase (480-470BC)
God from the sea, Zeus or Poseidon (c 470BC) Marble metope from the Parthenon (c 447-438BC)
 Roman (500 b.c.– a.d. 476)
Roman realism:

● Heavily influenced by the Greek era

● Roman art is more functional than religious and celebrates the Empire and Emperor
● The Romans developed many advanced architectural features such as the “aqueduct” vaulted ceilings and
domes made possible by their development of concrete
● Realism is more important than perfection figures are sculpted and painted to looks as they do in reality
● Paintings and other artworks are no longer intact or even remain due to the fall of Rome The Colosseum 70–80 AD
Paintings inside Villa of Mysteries in Pompeii 79 AD Augustus of Prima Porta 15 A.D.
 Augustus of Primaporta

Augustus of Prima Porta, early first century AD. Painted Carrara marble, 6' 8''. Musei Vaticani, Rome.
 The Colosseum

The famous Roman amphitheatre, the Colosseum, was built between A.D. 70 and 72 and was enjoyed by Roman
citizens during the height of the Roman Empire.
 Trajan’s Column

Trajan's Column is a Roman triumphal column in Rome, Italy, that commemorates Roman emperor Trajan's
victory in the Dacian Wars. ... Its design has inspired numerous victory columns, both ancient and modern.
 ancient Roman artworks

Marble bust of a man, mid 1st century, marble. Relief from the Ara Pacis Augustae, 9 B.C.E. monument is dedicated, marble

Relief from the Arch of Constantine, 315 C.E., Rome.

Painted Garden, removed from the triclinium (dining room) in the Villa of Livia Drusilla, Prima Porta, fresco,
30-20 B.C.E.
Pair of Centaurs Fighting Cats of Prey from Hadrian's Villa, mosaic, c. 130 C.E. (Altes Museum, Berlin)
 Indian, Chinese, and Japanese
Indian Art History:

Bhimbetka rock shelters ( Madhya Pradesh)

The Bhimbetka shelters exhibit the earliest traces of human life in India; a number of analyses suggest that at least some of these
shelters were inhabited by human beings for in excess of 100,000 years. Some of the Stone Age rock paintings found
among the Bhimbetka rock shelters are approximately 30,000 years old. The artists recorded scenes from the everyday lives
of the people who lived in the rock shelters; for example, hunting, cooking, eating, and drinking. They left paintings of religious
symbols and rites. A remarkable feature, one that has caught the attention of archaeologists, is that the paintings represent the
whole spectrum of time: Period 1 (Upper Paleolithic), Period II (Mesolithic), Period III (Chalcolithic), Period IV & V (Early historic),
and Period VI & VIl (Medieval). That provides the archaeologists and art historians a view of the progression of the people who lived
in these rock shelters.
Indus Valley Art:
From the prehistoric era art, one moves through to the Bronze age of the Indian subcontinent from about 3300 BC to about
1300 BC, within which there are classifications like Early Harappan age, Mature Harappan age, Indus Valley Civilisation, and the
Late Harappan age.

The arts of Indus Valley civilization, one of the earliest civilisations of the world, emerged during the second half of the third
millennium (Bronze Age). The forms of art found from various sites of civilization include sculptures, seals, pottery, gold
ornaments, terracotta figures, etc.
Early Indian Art
Ajanta and Ellora:

The Buddhist Caves in Ajanta are approximately 30 rock-cut Buddhist cave monuments dating from the 2nd
century BCE to about 480 CE in the Aurangabad district of Maharashtra state in India

Ajanta is mostly about beautiful paintings made on cave walls on the theme of Buddhism, Ellora is all about sculpture and
architecture belonging to three different religions prevailing in the country during those times—Buddhism, Hinduism and Jainism. ...
These caves are named after a nearby village called Ajanta.

The Ajanta cave paintings were done using a technique called Tempera. Most of the paintings tell stories of
the Jataka tales involving the stages of becoming a Buddha and the life of Buddha.

Ajanta Caves, Buddhist rock-cut cave temples and monasteries, located near Ajanta village, north-central Maharashtra state,
western India, are celebrated for their wall paintings.
Ellora
Ellora represents the epitome of Indian rock-cut architecture. ... Ellora is famous for Hindu, Buddhist and Jain
cave temples built during (6th and 9th centuries) the rule of the Kalachuri, Chalukya and Rashtrakuta dynasties.
The five Jain caves at Ellora belong to the ninth and tenth centuries
Medieval Indian Art

Chola Art of Deccan

(10-13th Centuries A.D.)
Hoysala Art of Belur and Halebidu
(12th Century A.D.)
Temples of Khajuraho
(10th Century A.D.)
Konark & Kalinga Art
(13th Century A.D.)
The Taj Mahal- (1631 and 1648)

An immense mausoleum of white marble, built in Agra between 1631 and 1648 by order of the Mughal emperor Shah
Jahan in memory of his favourite wife, the Taj Mahal is the jewel of Muslim art in India and one of the universally admired
masterpieces of the world's heritage.
 Indian paintings
Madhubani Paintings

Madhubani District of Bihar, India

One of the most celebrated styles of folk paintings in India is, Madhubani which originated in the Mithila
region of Bihar as a form of wall art.
Warli Paintings

The 2500-year-old tradition of Warli paintings of the Thane and Nasik areas of Maharashtra are closely linked
with nature and social rituals of the tribe.

Warli paintings were mainly done by the women folk. The most important aspect of the painting is that it does not
depicts mythological characters or images of deities, but depict social life. Pictures of human beings and animals, along
with scenes from daily life are created in a loose rhythmic pattern.
Kalighat Painting or Bengal Pat

Characterised by bright colours and bold outlines, Kalighat painting evolved as a unique genre of Indian
painting in 19th-century Kolkata (formerly Calcutta), in West Bengal. From the depiction of gods and other
mythological characters, these paintings developed over time to reflect a variety of themes.
Phad

Phad painting or Phad is a style of religious scroll painting and folk painting, practiced in Rajasthan state of India.
This style of painting is traditionally done on a long piece of cloth or canvas, known as phad. The
narratives of the folk deities of Rajasthan, mostly of Pabuji and Devnarayan are depicted on the phads.
Kalamkari

This 3000-year-old organic art of hand and block printing was traditionally used for making narrative scrolls
and panels. This exquisite folk art has a strong connection with Persian motifs. Kalamkari derives its name
from kalam or pen and is a legacy that has been handed down from generation to generation in Andhra
Pradesh.
Gond Painting

Gond painting is a famous folk art of the Gond tribal community of central India. It is done to preserve and communicate the
culture of the Gond tribal community. Gond tribal art includes folk dances, folk songs, and Gond paintings. The present-day Gond
paintings have evolved from Digna and Bhittichitra
Patachitra

The Bengal Patachitra refers to the painting of West Bengal. It is a traditional and mythological heritage of West Bengal.

patachitra is a general term for traditional cloth-based scroll painting, based in the eastern Indian state, odisha in
Sanskrit language pattalettary means "cloth" and Chitra means "picture" most of these paintings depict stories of Hindu deities.
 Picchwai

Pichwai paintings also known as "Pichvai" is a traditional Indian art having its origins in Rajasthan, India.
 Indian miniature painting

❖ Indian miniatures are small-scale, highly detailed paintings. They trace back to at least 9th century CE, and are
a living tradition with many contemporary artists still pursuing the art form.

❖ Miniature art is an intense labour of love illustrated on a range of materials like palm leaves, paper, wood,
marble, ivory panels and cloth. Organic and natural minerals like stone dust, real gold and silver dusts are used to
create the exquisite colours.

❖ The miniature paintings depicted themes such as court scenes, gardens, forests, palaces, hills and valleys,
deserts, life of Lord Krishna, love scenes, hunting scenes, and animal fights.

❖ For miniature painting, the painters use a special handmade paper known as “wasli” in several parts of India. It is
made by fusion of multiple layers of sheets that are extracted from rice stalk, bamboo, and other things that are designed
for this purpose

❖ The Palas of Bengal are considered the pioneers of miniature painting in India, but the art form reached its zenith
during the Mughal rule. The tradition of miniature paintings was further taken forward by the artists of various Rajasthani
schools of painting, including the Kishangarh, Bundi Jaipur, Mewar and Marwar.
Rajput Painting - Akbar And Tansen Visit Haridas
Indian Miniature Art - Pahari Style - Bana Prostrating At Shiva's Feet
Indian Mughal Art - Baz Bahadur And Rani Roopmati
China Art History:
Ancient China produced many types of beautiful works of art. Different eras and dynasties had their specialties. Chinese
philosophy and religion had an impact on artistic styles and subjects.

Mountain Hall by Dong Yuan (ca 934 – ca 962) Landscape Painting from Five Dynasties Period.
The Three Perfections:
The three perfections were calligraphy, poetry, and painting. Often they would be combined together in art. These
became important starting with the Song Dynasty.

Calligraphy - This is the art of handwriting. The Ancient Chinese considered writing an important form of art.
Calligraphers would practice for years to learn to write perfectly, but with style. Each of the over 40,000 characters
needed to be drawn precisely. In addition, each stroke in a character had to be drawn in a specific order.

Poetry - Poetry was an important form of art as well. Great poets were famous throughout the empire, but all educated
people were expected to write poetry. During the Tang Dynasty poetry became so important that writing poetry was part
of the examinations to become a civil servant and work for the government.
Painting - Painting was often inspired by poetry and combined with calligraphy. Many paintings were landscapes that
featured mountains, homes, birds, trees, and water.

Porcelain Fine Chinese porcelain was not only an important art, but also became an important export. During the Ming
Dynasty blue and white vases became highly prized and were sold to the wealthy throughout Europe and Asia.
Silk The Ancient Chinese mastered the art of making silk from the spun cocoons of silkworms. They kept this
technique secret for hundreds of years as silk was desired by other nations and enabled China to become rich.
They also dyed silk into intricate and decorative patterns.

Lacquer The Ancient Chinese often used lacquer in their art. Lacquer is a clear coating made from the sap of sumac
trees. It was used to add beauty and shine to many pieces of art. It also helped to protect art from getting damaged,
especially from bugs.
The Terracotta Army ( 210–209 BCE) is a fascinating aspect of Ancient Chinese art. It was created for the burial of the
first Emperor of China, Qin Shi Huang, in order to protect him in the afterlife. It consists of thousands of sculptures that
make up an army of soldiers. There were sculptures of over 8,000 soldiers and 520 horses in the terracotta army. These
weren't tiny sculptures either. All 8,000 soldiers were life-sized! They had details too, including uniforms, weapons, armor,
and each soldier even had his own unique face. Terracotta Soldier and Horse by Unknown
Japanese art

Japanese art covers a wide range of art styles and media, including ancient pottery, sculpture, ink painting and
calligraphy on silk and paper, ukiyo-e paintings and woodblock prints, ceramics, origami, and more recently manga and
anime.

The highly refined traditional arts of Japan include such forms as the tea ceremony, calligraphy, and ikebana (flower arranging)
and gardening, as well as architecture, painting, and sculpture. The performing arts are distinguished by their blending of music,
dance, and drama, rooted in different eras of the past.

Katsushika Hokusai - The Great Wave off Kanagawa

Set of sliding doors of Plum tree by Kanō Sanraku, early 17th century
 Byzantine and Islamic (476–1453)
Heavenly Byzantine mosaics; Islamic architecture and amazing maze-like design

❖ Known for its extravagant mosaics and dazzling use of gold, this style is deeply intertwined with the rise of
Christianity in Europe, with many murals still decorating churches throughout the Mediterranean. Byzantine art emerged after
emperor Constantine I.

❖ Byzantine art is almost entirely concerned with religious expression and, more specifically, with the impersonal
translation of carefully controlled church theology into artistic terms.
Islamic art

Islamic art is not art of a specific religion, time, place, or of a single medium . Instead it spans some 1400 years, covers
many lands and populations, and includes a range of artistic fields including architecture, calligraphy , painting, glass,
ceramics , and textiles, among others.

Across Islamic visual art, three key characteristics include floral motifs, geometric designs and calligraphy. Often
overlapping across various art forms and genres, these elements are influenced by principles in the Quran.
Shah Mosque (Isfahan) - 1629
17TH-CENTURY IRANIAN CERAMIC PAINTING IN THE LOUVRE PARIS
1. Mansur, Fatimid Caliph of Egypt, from a manuscript of Hafiz-i Abru’s Majma’ al-tawarikh (c. 1425)
2. A drawing of the c ourtyard of the Jama Mosque, Isfahan by Eugène Flandin, 1840
 Middle Ages (500–1400)

❖ Art during the Middle Ages was different based on the location in Europe as well as the period of time. However, in
general, Middle Age art can be divided up into three main periods and styles: Byzantine Art,
Romanesque Art, and Gothic Art. Much of the art in Europe during the Middle Ages was religious art with Catholic
subjects and themes. The different types of art included painting, sculpture, metal work, engraving, stained glass
windows, and manuscripts.

❖ The end of the Middle Ages is often signaled by a great change in art with the start of the Renaissance
Period.

Byzantine Art:

The start of the Middle Ages is often called the Dark Ages. This is the period of time from 500 to 1000 AD.
The main form of art during that time was Byzantine art produced by artists from the Eastern Roman Empire, also called
Byzantium.

Byzantine art was characterized by its lack of realism. The artists did not try to make their paintings
realistic, but focused on the symbolism of their art. Paintings were flat with no shadows and the subjects
were generally very serious and somber. The subjects of the paintings were almost entirely religious with many paintings
being of Christ and the Virgin Mary.
Romanesque Art

The period of Romanesque Art started around 1000 AD and lasted to around 1300 with the beginning of
the Gothic Art period . Art prior to that is called pre-Romanesque. Romanesque art was influenced by both the Romans and
Byzantine Art. Its focus was on religion and Christianity. It included architectural details like stained glass art, large
murals on walls and domed ceilings, and carvings on buildings and columns. It also included illuminated manuscript art and
sculpture.
Maria Laach Abbey, Germany
Gothic Art

Gothic art grew out of Romanesque art. Gothic artists began to use brighter colors, dimensions and perspective,
and moved toward more realism. They also began to use more shadows and light in their art and tried out new subject
matters beyond just religion including animals in mythic scenes.

1. Coronation of the Virgin is a painting produced by Fra Angelico in 1432

2. The Rucellai Madonna is a painting produced by Duccio di Buoninsegna in 1285.
Thank you.