ART HISTORY TIMELINE OF WESTERN WORLD AND FAMOUS ARTIST IDEA SHEET 

By Arun Mascarenhas (Assistant Professor) IDC School of Design, IIT Bombay, INDIA 
Art Movement /Ism /Style  ARTIST  COUNTRY OF  CATEGORY  ELEMENTS  WORKING WITH 
ORIGIN 
Creative activities 80,000-  Nomadic Hunters and  Various  Surface  Magic,  Cave surfaces, 
30,000 BCE  Gatherers  Paleolithic  scribblings,  Abstract,  Organic, and 
sites  rearranged  Expressive and  mineral, natural 
structures  overlapping  pigments, 
Cave Painting  Nomadic Hunters and  Various  Wall Paintings,  Magic,  Cave surfaces, 
30,000-12,000 BCE  Gatherers  Paleolithic  Small Portable  Abstract,  Organic and 
sites  sculptures,   Expressive and  mineral 
overlapping  pigments, 
Lost Civilizations 12,000  Temporary Settlements,  Middle  Megalithic  Bold Figures,  Built Structures, 
BC – 8,000 BC  small groups,  eastern sites  Engravings,  Animal  Places of 
Stone  depictions,   warships/ 
Structures  Ritualistic,  Sacrifices  
Neolithic 8,000 – 3000 BC  Settled societies  Various  Large Stone  Crude Animal  Decorated Skulls, 
Neolithic sites  Structures,  reliefs,  Brickwork, 
Carvings 
Mesopotamian Art 3500 –  Sumerians 3500 BC  Mesopotamia  Birthplace of  Natural and  Clay, Precious 
700 BC   Akkadians 2330 BC  Cradle of  Agriculture,  religious  metal and 
Amorites 2000-1595 BC  Civilization  Mathematics,  Symbolism,  stones, Shells 
Decline c 1500-700 BC  Government,  Cones and 
cities, Wheel  cylinders 
Egyptian Art 3,000 BC- 30  Various Unknown artists of  Egypt, Middle  Murals, Reliefs,  Rigid anatomy,  Stone, Brickwork, 
BC (31 Dynasties)  Old, Middle and new  east  Frontal  figurative,  Plastered walls, 
Amarna Period 1085 –  kingdom  sculptures,  Stylized  Precious metals 
1055 BC is the highpoint  Hieroglyphs  
in details and use of 
Materials  
Ancient Greece 1100 –  Various Artists & Architects  Greece  Reliefs, Wall  Archaic, Near  Aristocratic 
776 BC, Greek City-states  of Geometric period    paintings,  Eastern Art  themes  
500-338 BC Hellenistic  Archaic Period   Sculptures of  Towards the  Ideal Beauty, 
period 323- 30 BC (336  Classical Period  Bronze, Iron  classical ideas,  Philosophical 
Alexander the great)  Hellenistic period    Vase painting   thinking 

Roman Art 800 BC- 476  Various Artists & Architects  Greece,  Reliefs,  Masters of clay  Carvings, reliefs, 
CE/AD early influences  Rome  Sculpture,   and metal  Wall Paintings,  
form Etruscan art   Portraits of  works, Ideal 
Bronze, Iron,  anatomy, 
and marble  Arches,  
Celtic Art 800 BC-1200 AD  Celtic Artists originated  Scandinavian  Metalwork,  Celtic  High cross, Tomb 
from British ails and  countries   Pottery,  geometric  Stones, ​Spiritual 
influenced by many styles  Jewelry, lack  Motifs, Patterns,   symbols, 
and cultures  of human  Decorative 
figures 
Early Christian Art 33 AD-  Combinations from several  Rome, and  Frescos,  No  Christian Themes, 
400 AD (Before the Edict  cultures   various  Symbolic Jesus  three-dimension early symbols of 
of Milan by Constantine  places  representation al art of human  Christ 
at 330 AD)   s art of secret   and animals 
Byzantine Empire 330 AD  Various Artists & Architects  Turkey,  Mosaic Murals  Figurative,  Structure, Indoor 
onwards (Ended 1492)  Istanbul  Elongated  surfaces 
Hygeia, 
Sophia, 
Medieval Period 400 AD-  Various Artists & Architects  Middle east  Various  Eastern and  Liturgical items, 
1300 AD (Middle Dark  from Byzantine, Islamic,  to European  Elements,  Western  Large basilica, 
Age)  Viking, Carolingian, Celtic,  Provinces and  Patterns,  Influences in  Scriptures, 
8 artistic movements   Antonin, Romanesque​ and  Africa   Geometric  frescos of  illuminated 
Gothic Art  patterns   cathedrals   manuscripts  
Architecture,  Religious  Churches, 
Sculpture  themes  Worship Places 
Gothic Art 1200 AD – 1600  Giotto di Bondone  Emerged  Painter,  Biblical Theme,  Sculptures into 
AD  (1266-1337)  from France  Extreme the  Flat treatment,  buildings, Wall 
spread all  stylization of  Stained glass  Paintings, 
over Europe  the body,  windows  Calligraphy  
Early Renaissance 1400  Paul & Jean de Limburg  Italian   Painters  Biblical Theme,  Frescos, etc 
-1500 CE 
Medici family  Masaccio 1401-1428  Italian  Wall painting  Church interiors,  Jesus life events 
commissions   the first 
perspective 
  Donatello  Florentine  Sculpture  Marble, Bronze  Biblical themes 
  Jan Van Eyck (1390-1441)  Netherland/  Painter  First oil painting  Portraits of Dukes, 
Belgium  Landscapes,  Details 
  Fra Angelico 1400-55c  Florence  Paintings  Frescos, Murals  Biblical 
  Sandro Botticelli 1445-1510  Florence  Paintings  Frescos, Murals  Biblical 
High Renaissance  Leonardo DaVinci  Tuscan village  Painter,  Composition,  Religious themes 
1500-1600 CE  (1452-1519)  Florentine  Engineer,  Anatomy,  Classical style 
inventor  Classical 
23 years younger to Vinci  Michelangelo Buonarroti  Florentine  Sculptures,  Balance,  Figurative, 
& survived him by 45  (1475-1564)  Architecture,  Masculine,  Fresco, Sculpture 
years  Frescos,  Classical 
Rival to Michelangelo  Raphael Santi (1483-1520)  Umbria  Painter  Composition,  Religious themes 
Anatomy,  Classical style 
Classical 
  Giovanni Bellini (1431-1516)  Venetian  Composition,  Religious  Painter 
Anatomy,  themes 
Classical  Classical style 
  Titian (1477- 1576)  Venetian  Painter  Composition,  Religious theme, 
Anatomy, 
Portraits 
Mannerism or late  Tintoretto (1518- 94)  Europe   Painter  Sharp details,  Different 
Renaissance 1550 -1600  Movement just  Perspective 
AD. (Giorgio Vasari the  before the 
first known art Historian,  action 
derived the word from his  Parmigianino 1503-40    Painter  Long neck  Elongated figures 
dictionary Maniera )  El Greco (1541-1614)  Greek  Painter  Vivid color, Dark  The biblical 
palate  theme, intense 
emotions 
16​th​ C Paintings in  Hieronymus Bosch  Netherland/  Paintings  Intricate Details,  Metaphors  
Northern Europe   1450-1516  Germany  Symbolic 
  Albrecht Durer (1471-1528)  German  Painting,  Line, details,  Realistic, Nature 
Printmaking  Engraver  study 
  Pieter Brueghel the Elder  Flemish  Painter  Paintings,   
Nonbiblical 
Baroque 1600-1750 AD  Caravaggio (1565- 1610)  Milan,  Painter  Value, vivid  Shade and light 
  colors  
(Overly exaggerated  Peter Paul Rubens (1577-  Rome  Painter  Composition,  Church themes 
Religious advertisements  1640)  portraits 
to the masses)   Gianlorenzo Bernini 1598-  Florence  Sculptor  Marble,  Compositions, 
1680  Figurative  Church themes 
Rembrandt van Rijn  Dutch,  Painter  Value, Self  Seeing double 
1606-69  Holland  Portraits, Light  light and shade 
experiments 
Diego Velasquez (1599-  Italy  Painter  Composition,  Composition 
1660)  details 
Johannes Vermeer  Dutch,  Painter  Composition  Composition 
Rococo or Late Baroque  Jean-Honore Fragonard  French  Painter  Rococo  Dramatic 
1725-1775 AD,   1732-1806  elements  situation woven 
Preserved many aspects  elements 
of Baroque techniques  Jean-Baptiste Chardin  French  Realistic  Day to day  Nonaristocratic, 
but opted for Less Political  1699-1779  painter   themes   impasto 
themes. Softer and 
brighter tones 
Neoclassicism mid 18​th​ –  Jacques-Louis David 1748-  French  Painter  Roman republic  Roman 
19​th​ C,   1825  elements   traditional fresco 
  like 
(Patriotism, Sacrifice, and  Antonio Canova     Sculptor  Greek influence  Classical, Ideal 
courage, aimed towards  concepts 
symmetry, Archeology,  Jean-Auguste-Dominique  French  Painter  Neoclassical to  Oedipus story in 
and rediscover Eg. Winkle  Ingres (Davids Student)  Romanticism  the painting  
man)   Thomas Jefferson  American  Architecture  Buildings like  Classical Ideas 
1743-1826  Greek temples  explorations 
Romanticism Late 18​th​ C  William Blake 1757- 1827  England  Poet, Painter  Romantic  Flat paintings, 
1800-1860 is the peak.  theories,  watercolor, 
  illustrations   Gouache 
(All about passion, artists  Theodore Gericault  France   Painter  Agony paintings   The raft of the 
expressed their beliefs.  1791-1824 (33 years)  Medusa 
Monarchy across the  Eugene Delacroix 1798-  French  Painter  Paintings of  Social themes 
world replaced by  1863  revolution 
constitutions securing the  Francisco de Goya 1746-  Spanish  Printmaking,  Line  Realism Towards 
peoples rule, Born in the  1828  Painting  Symbolic 
wake of American  William Turner 1775- 1851  England  Painter  Ideal  Romantic 
revolution 1776, and the  landscapes  country 
French Revolution in  landscapes 
1789)  John Constable 1776- 1837  England  Painter  Ideal  Romantic 
  landscapes  country 
Making art larger than  landscapes 
life.   
Realism Early 19​th​ AD,   Gustave Courbet 1819-77  French  Painter  Romantic  Towards realism 
Art from day-to-day life  theories 
after the French and  Francois Millet 1814-75  French  Painting  The landscape  Society 
industrial revolutions. The  of peasants, 
1840s-1880s scientist  Honore Daumier 1808- 79  French  Painting,  Sketchy outline   Social problems  
Charles Darin  illustrations 
Carl Max  Edouard Manet 1832-83  French  Impressionism  Composition  Group Portrait, 
August Kampf   Realism 
Pre-Raphaelite   Various Artists   English  Painting     
Japanese Prints locked  Utamaro Kitagawa,  Japan  Printmaking  Shape, New  Nature prints, 
country (1653-1853  1753-1806  Motifs, New  Flatness, Vivid 
Foreign relationship  Hokusai 1760-1849  Color scheme  colors 
policy end)  Utagawa 1786-1865 
Impressionism 1870-1890  Edgar Degas 1834-1917  French  Impressionism  Ballet Themes,  Painting Motion 
Coined by Louise Louvre   Composition 
  Claude Monet 1840-1926  French  Impressionism  Line, light  Capturing a 
moment in time 
  Auguste Renoir 1841-1919    Painting  Rapid  Informal, Natural 
brushstrokes,  light, 
Open-air dance 
  JAMN Whistler 1834-1903  American  Painter  Artists Mother’s  Minimum colors 
Painting  composition 
  Auguste Rodin 1840- 1917  French  Sculpture  Movement  Sculpting 
Movement 
Post Impressionism  Paul Cezanne 1839-1906  French  Painter  Composition,  Constructing 
1885-1914 AD  Color to Form,  spaces, Native 
Affinity, Nature 
  Vincent Van Gogh 1853-  Dutch,  Painter  Color, Line,  Japonaiserie 
1890  Holland  Movement  Autobiographical 
  Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec  French  Painter,  Posters, Flat use  Decorative 
1864-1901  Printmaker  of Colors,  became critiques 
Poster designer  Creating a  favorite,  
color print. 
Pointillism/ Neo  Georges Seurat 1859- 91  Paris  Painter  Color dots,  Light 
Impressionism/  color theory  experiments, 
Divisionism   outdoors 
Symbolism   Gustave Moreau 1826-98  France  Painter  Greek myth  Symbolic 
  Edvard Munch 1863-1944  Norwegian  Painter  Lithographs,  Psychological 
Anxiety 
Synthetism  Paul Gauguin 1848- 1903  French  Painter  Symbolism,  Vivid color, 
Tahiti  Primitive Themes 
Art Nouveau 1880-1914  Hector Guimard 1867- 1942  Paris  Designer  Metro station  Floral, Curvilinear 
entrance  lamp posts, 
  Gustav Klimt 1862-1918  French  Painter  Posters, Murals, Decorative, 
paintings   Golden usage 
Fauvism 1900-1920  Henry Matisse 1869-1954    Paintings  Color theory  Visual expressions 
Expressionism  Wassily Kandinsky  Russian  Abstraction  Shape  Abstracting from 
1866-1944  Nature, Music 
Cubism 1907-1914  Georges Braque 1881- 1963  French  Cubist  Shape  Cubist painting 
(Multiple perspectives  Pablo Picasso   Spanish  Geometric,  Shape, Collage,  Cubist painting, 
and geometric  and Synthetic  Assemblage  Mixed Material 
arrangements of forms  Cubism 
and shapes) 
Futurism 1909  Carlo Carra  Italian  Painter  Movement,   
  Giacomo Balla  Italian  Painter  Photo re  Accidental results 
exposures 
  Umberto Boccioni  Italian  Sculptor,  Forms, Space,  Illusion of 
Painter  movement  movement 
Metaphysical Art  Giorgio de Chirico  Italy  Expressionistic  Mysterious,  Sharp contrast, 
(1911-20)  haunted  Pessimistic 
feelings  themes 
Machine Aesthetics  Constantine Brancusi  Romanian  Sculptures  Machined  Minimal, 
products  Chromium 
De Stijl 1917-1931  Piet Mondrian  Dutch  Painter  Minimalism,  Basic colors, Lines 
Geometric 
patterns 
Dada Movement  Marcel Duchamp  French  Installation,  Visual  Conceptual, 
1887-1968  Found objects  Comment  Industrial output 
  Jean Arp  German  Poet, Painter,  Absurd,  Paper pieces 
Sculptor 
  Man Ray  American  Photographer  Found objects  Absurd, Shocking 
Surrealism 1924-1930  Salvador Dali 1904- 1989  Spanish  Painting,  Super realistic,  The subconscious 
Mixed Media  Fantasy,  mind, Freud 
Installations,  theories 
  Paul Klee 1879-1940  Swiss  Paintings  Childlike  Purity of thoughts 
  Joan Miro 1893-1983  Spanish  Painter,  Surreal  Mindscapes 
Sculptor  elements, 
  Rene Magritte 1898-1967  Belgian  Painter  Compositions,  Psychic 
Conceptual  automation 
Regional Artists   Henri Rousseau 1844-1910  French  Painter  Amateur, Color,  Fantasy, 
back to nature  Landscape 
  Deigo Rivera  Mexican  Murals  Unity  Political murals 
  Frida Kahlo  Mexican  Painter  Amateur Style,  Autobiographical 
Symbolic, 
Abstract Expressionism  Willem de Kooning 1904-  Dutch  Painting  Women,  Expressive 
1945-1960 CE  1997  Aggression  handling 
  Jackson Pollock  American  Abstract  Action, Body  Drip technique, 
Painting  movement,  industrial paint 
Rhythm 
  Frank Stella (1936-  American  Abstract  Pattern  Geometric 
(Boston)  Abstraction 
  Mark Rothko 1903-1970  Russian  Painter  Color  Composition 
psychology 
Kinetic Art 1950-60  Alexander Calder    Sculptures  Metal sheet,  Dynamic, 
wire  Suspended 
Pop Art (1955-  Robert Rauschenberg  American  Mixed media  Combines,  Nontraditional, 
1925-2008  artist  collages  Newspaper 
  Andy Warhol  American  Pop Themes  Shape  Popular Themes, 
Serigraph, Prints 
Op Art/ Optical art  Bridget Reilly 1931  British  Paintings,  Rhythm  Minimalistic, 
illusions  applied art 
  Kara Sandor      Rhythm  Minimalistic, 
applied art 
Minimalism 1960s  Donald Judd 1928- 94    Installations  Geometric   Florescent, 
Conceptual Art   Joseph Beuys 1921-86  German  Installations  Performance  Mixed Material 
Site-Specific Art/Nature  Robert Smithson 1938-73  American  Land Art,  Spiral, Natural  Modern 
Art/ Earthworks/ Land art/  Documentary  Forces  equipment’s, 
Environmental art  Experience 
  Andy Goldsworthy  British  Natural spots  Harmony,  Natural laws 
and material  rearrangement 
Feminists   Kiki Smith 1954  British  Painter,  Feministic   
Sculptor 
Contemporary / Mixed  Chuck Close  American  Contemporary  Portrait  Grid, Pixel art 
Styles/ Individualism  
  Anish Kapoor 1954-  Indian/ British  Large works  Industrial Beauty  Mixed Materials 
  Jeff Koons 1955-  American  Installations  Industrial Beauty  Monumental 
  Ai Weiwei 1957  Chinese  Mix media   Installations  Installations 
  Yue Minjun 1962  Chinese  Painter  Sarcasm  Figurative  
  Damien Hirst 1965-  American  Installations  Shocking works,  Unconventional  
And so on…  N S Harsha 1969-  Indian  Various media,  Miniature Style,  Oriental themes, 
watercolor   Flat mannerism  local references 
Prepared by Prof. Arun Mascarenhas MFA, IDC School of Design, IIT Bombay, INDIA 
This is a limited, not exhaustive list of isms and artists meant for the educational purpose @ 27.2.2019