Chapter 7

Art History
The Beginnings of Art
When exactly did art begin? A quick browse of a book on Art History would immediately give the
impression that the history of art is immense. For instance, the earliest cave paintings pre-date
writing by approximately 27,000 years. Since art is based on ideas and the expression of these
ideas, its survival is independent upon its ability to evolve hence, to change with the times.
The art today is very different from the art of yesterday not only in terms of materials used but
particularly in terms of the techniques of execution. Even the viewers of today are a lot different
from that of previous decades and centuries. The layman’s notion of a fixed, static history is an
illusion for history is interpreted and shaped by each new generation to suit its own needs.
History, and particularly art history, is as much a projection of the present as it an authentic
documentation of the past ( Kissick, 1996)
The following discussion of art history will be primarily based on a timeline and presented in a
manner that will not overwhelm the learner. The bulk of information about the history of art may
be too much for a college freshman. So the focus will only be on certain points in history that
highlights events that are considered to be important in the evolution of art as people know it
today. Included in the timeline will be:
a. The Arts Period and Movements
b. Characteristics of the Art Period
c. Popular Artist and Major Artworks
d. Significant Historical Events
Also each period in the timeline will have at least two visual examples to further clarify the
differences among them.
A. Western and Asian Art

Art Period and Characteristics Popular artist and Significant Historical

Movement Major Artworks Events
Stone Age Cave painting, fertility Lascaux Cave Ice Age ends (10,000
(30,000 BCE- 25000 goddesses, Painting, Venus of BCE-8000 BCE) New
BCE megalithic structures Willendorf Stone Age and first
permanent
settlement (8000
BCE-2500 BCE)

The Lascaux Caves

The Lascaux caves in the south of France are among the most exquisite and well-preserved
examples of prehistoric culture. The painting are found on the wall and ceilings of the caves.
The paint used were a mixture of grounded colored rocks and organic matter with tree sap and
sometimes animal blood as binder.
Venus of Willendorf
This is oldest surviving three-dimensional depiction of human body, approximately 8,000 to
10,000 years older than the images at Lascaux. Archeologist and historians vary in their ideas
of the function of this artifact. It might be a fertility goddess or a goddess that brings forth
prosperity and good fortune.
This is one of the most famous surviving Neolithic-style structures located in Southern England.
Today it stands with approximately the same configuration as it did around 1300 BCE. Most
likely, Stonehenge, was constructed as a shrine, the outer of its two concentric rings has the
distinction of being laid out in exact accordance with the directional path of the sun at the
summer solstice

Art Period and Characteristics Popular Artist and Significant Historical

Movement Major Artworks Events
Mesopotamian (3500 Warrior art and Standard of Ur. Gate Sumerians invent
BCE) narration in stone of Ishtar, Stele of writing (3400 BCE;
relief Hammurabi’s Code Hammurabi writes his
law code (1780 BCE)
Abraham founds
monotheism

Mesopotamian art features a distinctive style in the sculptures. Textures of the figures are
achieved through repetition of lines or dots. Many freestanding sculptures and relief were
created by Mesopotamian sculptors. The most impressive works are the so called portal
guardians. They usually are presented as animals (real or imagined) or animals with human
heads.

Art Period and Characteristics Popular Artist and Significant Historical

Movement Major Artworks Events
Greek and Hellenistic Greek idealism: Panthenon, Myron, Athens defeats
(850 BCE- 31 BCE balance, perfect Phidias, Polykleitos, Persia at Marathon
proportions; Praxiteles (490 BCE)
architectural orders Peloponnesian
(Doric, Ionic,
Corinthian)
In Ancient Greek architecture, architectural style is divided into three defined orders: the
Doric, the Ionic and the Corinthian order. The architecture of Ancient Rome was strongly
influence by Greece. From the Renaissance, revivals of classical architecture have kept alive
not only the precise form and ordered details of Greek architecture, but also its concept of
architectural beauty based on balance and proportion
Greek sculpture includes three distinct styles. These styles are the archaic, the classical and
the Hellenistic. The archaic style is stiff and rigid. The classical style is realistic and includes
the representation of movement. The Hellenistic style resulted from centuries of Greek studies
of the human form.
 Art Period and Characteristics Popular Artist and Significant Historical
Movement Major Artworks Events
Roman (500 BCE-CE Roman realism: Augustus of Julius Ceasar
476 practical and down to Primaporta, assassinated (44
earth; the arch Colosseum, Trojan’s BCE); Augustus
Column, Pantheon proclaimed Emperor
(27BCE) Diocletian
splits Empire (CE
292); Rome falls (CE
476)

The Romans invented the Roman Arch. The Roman Arch helped the Romans to make bigger
bridges and aqueduct. These aqueducts were responsible for making water run into the towns
and allowed them to create the famous Roman Baths. The Baths were shared to the public and
a place where people gathered. The Bath was a large pool surrounded by many shops,
restaurants, libraries and sometimes a gym. The Baths were built using the best building
materials which included marble. Marble was a favorite material of the Romans.
The Romans, like the Greeks, wanted to be entertained, so they built the Coliseum. The
structure can accommodate approximately 50,000 people. In this arena were held gladiator
fights, naval battles and even prosecutions to the delight of the emperor and the crowd.

Art Period and Characteristics Popular Artist and Significant Historical

Movement Major Artworks Events
Hindu, Chinese, and Serene, Meditative Gu Kaizhi, Li Cheng, Birth of Buddah (563
Japanese (653 BCE- art, and Art of the Guo Xi, Hokusai, BCE); Silk Road
CE 1900) Floating World. Hiroshige opens (1st century
BCE); Buddhism
spreads to China (1st-
2nd centuries CE) and
Japan (5th century
CE)

Hindu art reflects a plurality of belief, Hindu temples, which depicts their architecture and where
sculptures are found, usually are devoted to different deities. Deities commonly worshiped
include Shiva the Destroyer; Vishnu in his, incarnation as Rama and Krishna; Ganesh, the
elephant god of prosperity. These deities are usually portrayed with multiple limbs and heads,
which indicates the extent of the god’s power and ability.
Hindi art is also characterized by holy symbols, which includes the om which is an invocation of
the divine consciousness of God; the swastika, a symbol of auspiciousness; and the lotus
flower, a symbol of purity, beauty, fertility, and transcendence.
Chinese art have evolved throughout its history. As political and social circumstances changed
and new technologies developed, so did its art. Chinese artistic styles are classified according
to the dynasty under which they were produced. Artists and artisans in ancient China relied
heavily on the patronage of the imperial court and the aristocracy. Chinese art encompasses
fine arts, folk arts and performance arts.
Japanese art has frequently been complicated by the definitions and expectations established
in the late 19th and early 20th centuries when Japan was opened to the West; 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, kirigami, origami,
dorodango, and more recently manga, a modern method of Japanese cartooning and comics.

Art Period and Characteristics Popular Artist and Significant Historical

Movement Major Artworks Events
Byzantine and Heavenly Byzantine Hagia Sophia, Andrei Justian Partly
Islamic (476 CE- mosaic; Islamic Rublev, Mosque of restores Western
1453 CE) architecture and Cordoba, the Roman Empire (533
amazing maze like Alhambra CE – 562 CE)
design Iconoclasm
Controversy (726
CE-843 CE; Birth of
Islam (610 CE) and
Muslim Conquest
(632 CE- 732 CE)

Byzantine art is about religious expression and more specifically about church theology
translated into aesthetic forms. Byzantine forms of architecture and painting was based on
these religious concerns which made art uniform, anonymous, and perfected within this rigid
tradition. The result was a sophistication of style and spirituality of expression that rarely
compares with the art of the Western tradition.

Art Period and Characteristics Popular Artist and Significant Historical

Movement Major Artworks Events
Middle Ages (500 - Celtic art, Carolingian St Sernin, Durham Viking Raids (793-
14000 Renaissance, Cathedral, Norte 1066); Crussades 1-4
Romanesque Gothic Dame, Chartres (1095- 1204); Bkack
Cimabue, Duccio, Death (1347-1351);
Giotto Hundred Years War
(1337- 1453)

During the 14th century. European thinkers, writers and artist looked back and celebrated the art
and culture of ancient Greece and Rome. They would usually not give credence to the period
that followed. They considered the period after the fall of Rome as a “Middle” or even “Dark”
ages. In this period, no scientific accomplishments had been made, no great art produced, no
great leader born. The people of the Middle Ages were said to have squandered the
advancements of their predecessors and mired themselves instead in “barbarism and religion.
The Middle Ages, however, can still be proud of the architectures and sculptures that were
created solely for the purpose of religion. Beautiful Romanesque castles and majestic gothic
cathedrals were created that up to the present instill in tourist and art critics a feeling of awe as
to their beauty and magnificence.

Art Period and Characteristics Popular Artist and Significant Historical

 Movement Major Artworks Events
Early and High Rebirth of Classical Ghiberti’s Doors, Guttenberg invents
Renaissance (1400- culture Brunelleschi, movable type (1447;
1550) Donatello, Botticelli, Turks conquer
Leonardo, Constantinople(1453;
Michelangelo, Rafael Columbus lands in
New World (1492)
Martin Luther starts
reformation(1517)

This movement began in Italy in the 14th century. Renaissance literally means rebirth and
describes the revival of interest in the artistic achievement of the Classical world. The people of
the Renaissance were determined to move away from the religion dominated Middle Ages and
turn their attention to the plight of man in society. It was a time when individual expression and
worldly experience became two of the main themes of Renaissance art.
The movement was brought about by the increasing sophistication of society, characterized by
political stability, economic growth and cosmopolitanism. Education, at this time took center
stage, with libraries and academies that allowed empirical studies and researches to be
conducted into the cultures of the ancient world.
In addition, the arts benefited from the patronage of such influential families and individuals like
the Medici family of Florence, the Sforza family of Milan and Popes Julius II and Leo X.

Art Period and Characteristics Popular Artist and Significant Historical

Movement Major Artworks Events
Venetian and The Renaissance Bellini, Giorgione, Council of Trent and
Northern spreads northward to Titian, Durer, counter reformation
Renaissance France, the low Bruegel, Bosch, Jn (1545-1563)
(1430-1550) Countries, Poland, van Eyck, Rogier van Copernicus proves
Germany and der Weyden the earth revolves
England around the Sun.
(1543)

The Northern Renaissance was famous for its advanced techniques in oil painting, realistic,
expressive altar piece art, wooden panel paintings, woodcuts and printmaking. Stone sculpture
was not very popular, but the German boast of their woodcarving techniques. Dutch art was
determined by empirical perspective.
Unlike the Italian Renaissance artists, who aimed for a scientific and rational understanding of
the world, and constructed a picture from this perspective, the Dutch aimed to get to the bottom
of the mysteries of the world with a precise observation of all things, capturing every single
detail. The painters learned from direct observation and their knowledge of the consistency of
things. They painted what they saw and came very close to the effect of central perspective.

Art Period and Characteristics Popular Artist and Significant Historical

 Movement Major Artworks Events
Mannerism (1527- Art that breaks the Tintoretto, El Greco, Magellan
1580 rules, artifice over Pontormo, Bronzino, circumnavigate the
nature Cellini) globe (1520-1522)

In Mannerism, paintings and compositions can have no focal point and space can be
ambiguous. The figures can be presented by an athletic bending and twisting with distortions,
exaggeration, and elongation of the limbs, bizarre posturing on the other hand, graceful
posturing on the other hand, and a rendering of the heads as uniformly small and oval.
The compositions are marked by clashing colors, which lacks the balance, naturalism, and
dramatic colors of the High Renaissance. Mannerist artwork seeks instability and restlessness
with a fondness for allegories that have lascivious undertones.

Art Period and Characteristics Popular Artist and Significant Historical

Movement Major Artworks Events
Baroque (1600-1750) Splendor and flourish Reubens, Thirty Year’s War
for God; art as a Rembrandt, between Catholics
weapon in the Caravaggio, Palace and Protestant
religious wars of Versailles (1618-1648)

The word baroque describes something that is elaborated and highly detailed. The most
important events of the Baroque era were the Reformation and the Counter-Reformation, with
the Baroque style being considered closely linked to the Catholic Church. The popularity of the
style was encourage by the Catholic Church, which had decided at the Council of Trent that the
arts should communicate religious themes and direct emotional involvement in response to the
Protestant Reformation.
The Baroque style is characterized by exaggerated motion and clear detail used to produce
drama, exuberance, and grandeur in sculpture, painting, architecture, literature, dance and
music. Baroque iconography was direct, obvious, and dramatic, intending to appeal to the
senses and the emotions.
Chiaroscuro technique is a trait of Baroque art. This technique refers to the interplay between
light and dark, often used in paintings with dimly lit scenes to produce a very high-contrast,
dramatic atmosphere

Art Period and Characteristics Popular Artist and Significant Historical

Movement Major Artworks Events
Neoclassical (1750- Art that recaptures David, Ingres, Enlightenment (18th
1850) Greco-Roman grace Greuze, Canova. century); Industrial
and grandeur Revolution (1760-
1850)

Neoclassical painting and sculpture involved an emphasis on austere linear design in the
depiction of classical events, characters and themes, using historically correct settings and
costumes. Its emergence was greatly stimulated by the new scientific interest in classical
antiquity that arose during the course of the 18th century. A series of archeological discoveries of
buried Roman cities caused renewed interest in Roman art. Published engraving of Roman
monuments further heightened interest in classical antiquity. These discoveries helped scholar
establish a more accurate chronology for Greco-Roman art, whose numerous strands and
styles stimulate greater respect for the culture of the period.

Art Period and Characteristics Popular Artist and Significant Historical

Movement Major Artworks Events
Romanticism The triumph of Caspar Friedrich, American Revlotion
imagination and Delacroix, Turner, (1775-1783) Frech
individuality Benjamin West Revolution (1789-
1799) Napoleon
crowned emperor of
France(1803)

Romantic visual and literary artist glorified things. The things however, that glorified were not
tangible nor physical. Romanticism glorified abstract, complex concepts like liberty, peace,
survival, hope, heroism, despair and other sensation that nature evokes in humans. All of these
things are felt on a more personal and highly subjective level.
Aside from presenting intangible ideas. Romanticism may also be characterized by what it stood
against. The movement championed spiritualism over science, instinct over deliberation, nature
over industry, democracy over subjugation, and the rusticity over the aristocracy. These are
concepts that are subjective and open to individual interpretation.

Art Period and Characteristics Popular Artist and Significant Historical

Movement Major Artworks Events
Realism ( 1848-1900) Celebrating working Corot, Courbet, European democratic
class and peasants: Daumier, Millet revolutions of 1848
en plein air rustic
painting
Realists rejected Romanticism, which had dominated French Literature and art since the late
18th century. They had enough of the exotic subject matter and exaggerated emotionalism of the
movement. Realist, instead, wanted to portray ‘real’ people in real situations with truth and
accuracy, including all the unpleasant aspects of life. Realist reflected changes brought on the
industrial and Commercial Revolutions.
The Realist artist portrayed everyday subject and situation in a contemporary stings and aimed
to depict individual of all social classes in a similar manner.

Art Period and Characteristics Popular Artist and Significant Historical

Movement Major Artworks Events
Impressionism Capturing fleeting Monet, Manet, Franco-Prussian War
effects of natural light Renoir, Pissaro, (1870-1871):
Cassatt, Morisot, Unification of
Degas Germany (1871)

Impressionism is a style of painting that emerged in the mid to late 1800s. The movement
emphasized an artist’s immediate impression of a moment or scene, communicated through the
effect of light and its reflection, short brushstroke, and separation of colors. Impressionist
painters often used modern life as their subject matter. They painted quickly and freely.
Impressionism, featured short, visible strokes- dot, commas, smear and blobs.
Although some of the most respected artists were part of the Impressionist movement, the term
“impressionist” was originally intended as a derogatory term, used by art critics appalled at this
style of painting

Art Period and Characteristics Popular Artist and Significant Historical

Movement Major Artworks Events
Post- Impressionism A soft revolt against Van Gough, Gaugiin Belle Epoque (late
Impressionism Cezanne, Seurat 19th century Golden
Age) Japan defeats
Russia (1905)

Post- impressionism bridged the gap between the restrictive techniques found in the
impressionist period and the emphasis on geometry found in modern art. The Post-
impressionist were French artist who rejected many of the limitations of that style. Many
impressionist scenes portray nature, architecture, or particular moments in daily life. In contrast,
Post-impressionist art not only used these motifs, but also extended to scenes from daily life
and even still life
Beyond the choice of subject matter, the Post-impressionists also distinguished themselves
from earlier artist in how they chose to use technique to create their compositions. Post-
impressionists would focus alternatively on color, shape, light, and even brush stroke technique
to create their work. This flexibility in technique, especially in color and shape would greatly
inspire later artists, who as result, were finally free to explore their work without regard to stiff
convention in art presentation.
Fauvism is a term used to denote the used of distortion and exaggeration for emotional effect,
which first surfaced in the art literature of the early 20th century. Fauve artist used pure, brilliant
color applied straight from the paint tubes to create bright effects on the canvas. The Fauves
painted directly from nature, but Fauvist works were invested with a strong expressive reaction
to the subject portrayed. First, formally exhibited in Paris in 1905, Fauvist paintings shocked
visitors to annual Salon d’Automne; one of these visitors was the critic Louis Vauxcelles dubbed
the painters fauves which means ‘wild beast’
Expressionism is an artistic style in which the artist attempts to portray not objective reality but
rather the subjective emotions and responses that object and events arouse in him. The artist
accomplishes this through distortion, exaggeration, primitivism, and fantasy and through the
vivid, violent or dynamic application of formal elements. Expressionism is a highly subjective,
personal, spontaneous self-expression typical of the wide range of modern artist and art
movement of today.
Cubism is an artistic movement, created by Pablo Picasso and Georges Braque. It employs
geometric shapes in depictions of human and other forms. Overtime, the geometric touches
grew so intense that they sometimes overtook the represented forms, creating a pure level of
visual abstraction. The ideas and techniques of Cubism influence many creative disciplines
Futurism is an Italian art movement that took speed, technology and modernity as its inspiration.
Futurism portrayed the dynamic character of 20th century life, glorified war and the machine age,
and favor the growth of Fascism. The movement was at its strongest from 1909, when Filippo
Marinetti’s first manifesto of Futurism appeared, until the end of WWI. Futurism was unique in
that it was a self-invented art movement.
Dadaism was the first conceptual art movement where the focus of the artist was not to craft
aesthetically pleasing objects but create works that upended bourgeois sensibilities. It aimed to
generate difficult questions about society, the role of the artist, and the purpose of art.
Dada artist are known for their use of readymade objects-everyday object that could be bought
and presented as art with little manipulation. The use of the readymade forced questions about
artistic creativity and the very definition of art and its purpose in society.
Surrealism’s aim is to channel the unconscious as a means to unlock the power of the
imagination. Strongly influenced by psychoanalysis, the Surrealist believe the rational mind
repressed the power of the imagination, weighting it down with taboos. The movement was also
influenced by Karl Marx. The surrealists hoped that the human psyche had the power to reveal
the contradictions in the everyday world and spur on revolution.
Abstract Expressionism is also known as Action Painting of Color Field Painting. It entered the
art scene after World War II with its characteristic messiness and extremely energetic
applications paint. Abstract Expressionism is also referred to as gestural abstraction because its
brush strokes revealed the artist process. This process is the subject of the art itself
Many modern-day historians believe that emphasis on action leaves out another side of
Abstract Expressionism which is control vs. chance. Despite the paintings’ apparent lack of
cohesion to the uneducated eye, these artists cultivated the interplay of skill and unplanned
occurrences to determine the painting’s final outcome.
Pop Art is a movement marked by a fascination with popular culture reflecting the affluence in
post-war society. It was most prominent in American art soon spread to Britain. In celebrating
everyday objects such as soup cans, washing powder, comic strips and soda pop bottles, the
movement turned the commonplace into icons. Pop Art is a direct descendant of Dadaism in the
way it mocks the established art world by appropriating images from the street, the
supermarket, the mass media, and presents it as art in itself.
Postmodern art refers to a group of movements that began in the late 1950’s and early 1960’s.,
during which artist rejected established practices and questioned the importance of their roles in
the artistic process. Postmodern artists use familiar images from consumer and pop culture
and5 mass to confront or question art and society. Their work has a irreverent, almost mocking
view, of artistic importance. Postmodern artist include minorities and women who were not
previously part of the art establishment.
Philippine Art History
Philippine Art History refers to Filipino works of art that have developed in country from the
beginning of its civilization up to the present era. Accumulation of these works in museums all
over the country reflect the culture of the Philippine society and the wide range of cultural
influences from countries that happen to interact with its people. It also considers how other
country’s culture influenced local arts that rsulted in Filipino artworks as it is known today.
Pre Colonial Philippine Art (Before 1521)
Early evidence of ancient tools and other artifacts abound in the different island of the
Philippines. Many object created for daily use can be found all over the country in places like
Batangas, Cagayanb, Cenral Luzon, Davao, and Palawan. Two of the Object that were
discovered were described to be the crudest form of stone tools(flake tools)
Receptacles – These were containers fashioned by early Filipinos to enclose and protect the
bodies of their dead relatives. Protection and consecration of the bodies supported hat scientists
thought about early Filipinos believing in life after death and immortality of the soul. The
containers served as a funerary for the dead. Coffins made out of tree barks and fibers woven
into mats may also function as receptacles of food and other belonging which will accompany
the dead on their journey to the other world.
Receptacles can also be made of leaves, wood and bamboo. The bamboo was the most
popular material because of its abundance and natural characteristic.
Textile Weaving. Flat stone tools believed to have been used to pound and flatten tree barks
into primitive types of textile have been excavated.
Jewelry. Shells were used for accessories: bracelets and pendants. A piece of cone shell,
presumably an earring is an example of ancient jewelry. It was discovered in Duyong Cave,
Palawan. Shell, animal bones and small stones were the earliest adornments.
Pottery. Clay pots were discovered which dated as early as 710 BCE in Masbate. The most
convenient way to classify and study thousands of pre-Hispanic pottery is to classify them
according to shape, method of decoration and type of design on the surface.
Shape is the description of the vessel’s body, the form of its mouth, the thickness of its
lips, or the the presence of ears, spouts and legs attached to its body.
Method of Decoration is the manner by which designs are applied on the body’s surface.
Decorative designs are either impressed or incised.
a. Impressed Designs involve pressing on the vessel certain objects like a rope, string,
or small piece of mat while the surface clay is still wet.
b. Incised designs make used of sharp object to draw patterned on the earthenware’s
still wet body.
Sculpture. The Manunggul Burial Jar (dated 890-710 BCE) is regarded as the symbol of
Philippine Pre-historic artifacts. It was found in Palawan and is named after the cave where it
was found.
Architecture. The early inhabitants of the Philippines were seafaring people. The houses
during 16th century were single room constructions with walls of bamboo and roof of palm
leaves.