Art Movements

Abstract art refers to works which do not represent reality in realistic visual forms. Instead, abstract compositions use lines, shapes, gestural strokes, colors or symbols to represent ideas. Abstract art has existed as long as human’s have been alive to create it. In fact, geometric abstract symbols have been found in ancient art. In abstract […]

Impressionism was a significant art movement in the 19th century. Impressionists created some wildly popular paintings, including Edgar Degas’ dancers, Renoir’s Luncheon of the Boating Party, and Monet’s water lilies. But these were all male artists, and there were several gifted women impressionists. These women artists made critical contributions to the movement and the arts

What is Futurism? Futurism is an avant-garde art and social movement that originated in Italy. Several manifestos were created in the wake of futurist philosophy and the most important of them was the Manifesto of Futurism, published by Filippo Tommaso Marinetti in 1909. The attitude towards the past that the Futurists had was based on

What is Futurism? Futurism is an avant-garde art and social movement that originated in Italy. Several manifestos were created in the wake of futurist philosophy and the most important of them was the Manifesto of Futurism, published by Filippo Tommaso Marinetti in 1909. The attitude towards the past that the Futurists had was based on

Surrealism was a revolutionary artistic movement that emerged in Europe in the 1920s as a reaction to the atrocities of World War I and the cultural-political values of the time. It was inextricably linked to Sigmund Freud’s psychoanalytic theories on dreams and the subconscious mind. Surrealist artists rejected rationalism and conformism to repressive social norms,

Surrealism is defined by an attitude of experimentation, spontaneity, and openness to possibilities and unexpected outcomes. The Surrealist artists utilized and invented a variety of techniques to explore a free-flowing creative process free from conscious decision-making and the rational mind. They produced an array of work and explored a range of processes, techniques, and mediums

Feminist art represents a meeting point between feminism and art. While artworks focusing on the female experience in the world existed before the feminist art movement began, during the 1970s feminist art became defined and articulate. The feminist art movement also represents a field where activism and art flourished together. In the 1980s, the famous

The Pre-Raphaelite Brotherhood was an art movement founded in 1848 by a group of English artists, poets, critics, and playwrights. The artistic movement sought to emulate early Italian art and was opposed to the classical compositions that Raphael made popular. The founders of the Pre-Raphaelite Brotherhood were William Holman Hunt (1827-1910), Dante Gabriel Rosetti (1828-1882),

Pop art started in England, in the late 1950s. The first Pop artists included Richard Hamilton, Eduardo Paolozzi, and Peter Blake. Later, the Pop art movement spread to New York, with Pop artists Andy Warhol and Roy Lichtenstein. Pop art brought together fine art and low culture. It merged the two together seamlessly. Themes popular

Pop art is a unique blend of fine art, along with popular and commercial culture. The Pop art movement began in England, during the 1950s, with artists Eduardo Paolozzi, Richard Hamilton, and Peter Blake. Although it has English roots, Pop art was always based on American culture. Pop art spread into New York, where artists

Pop art began in England during the mid-twentieth century. Pop art and Pop art artists blended fine art with popular culture. The art movement provided an important change in what was considered art. Pop art is bright, vibrant art, with a focus on everyday life. Film, television, newspapers, magazines, music, comic books, and consumer goods

Pop art is an art movement that began in England, during the mid-twentieth century. It provided a radical shift, as to what was considered art at the time. Pop art blended fine art with popular culture. Characteristics of Pop art included images taken from everyday life such as consumer items from the grocery store shelves,

Pop art is an art movement that began in the mid-twentieth century and presented viewers with a blend of fine art with popular culture. It incorporated everyday objects into painting, sculpture, silkscreen, collage, and multimedia works. In this article we will define the characteristics of pop art, including everyday imagery, a merging of fine art

Pop art was art movement that began in England during the 1950s, with Pop art artists such as Richard Hamilton, Eduardo Paolozzi, and Peter Blake creating British Pop art. Later, in the 1960s,the British Pop art movement spread into New York. Pop artists such as Andy Warhol and Roy Lichtenstein, became famous for their Pop

Art was an art movement that centered on popular culture, consumer culture, and mass media.  Pop Art began in the 1950s in the United Kingdom, and spread to the United States in the 1960s. It was a reaction to the preceding art movements such as Abstract Expressionism, which was highly personal and philosophical, and a

Futurism is an avant-garde art and social movement that originated in Italy. Several manifestos were created in the wake of futurist philosophy and the most important was the Manifesto of Futurism, published by Filippo Tommaso Marinetti in 1909. The attitude towards the past that the Futurist artists had was based on an uncompromising rejection of

Futurism is an avant-garde art and social movement that originated in Italy. Several manifestos were created in the wake of futurist philosophy and the most important of them was the Manifesto of Futurism, published by Filippo Tommaso Marinetti in 1909. The attitude towards the past that the Futurists had was based on an uncompromising rejection

Surrealism was an art and literary movement that utilized fantasy, myth, and dream imagery when creating art. The Surrealist movement began in Europe in the 1920’s as a reaction to the atrocities and of World War I and the cultural-political values of the time period. Characteristics of Surrealist artwork include: Using the element of fantasy,

Cubism is a Western art movement consisting of many artists who had a profound impact on modern art. Cubist artwork features a fragmented composition representing the subject from all angles through overlapping geometric planes. Cubist artists reimagined conventional representation by rejecting the traditions of perspective, modeling, and foreshortening favored during the Renaissance. The result of

Cubism is a Western art movement that began around 1907 in Paris, France. Cubism was led by artists Pablo Picasso and Georges Braque, who experimented with form and perspective to achieve the fragmented composition that was pivotal to the movement. In 1914, much activity within the Cubist movement halted due to the First World War.

Fauvism is an art movement that emerged in France around 1905 and dissolved around 1908. Fauvism rejects Impressionism’s soft, pastel color palette and is characterized by bold, contrasting colors and wild, textured brushstrokes. Fauvist paintings are figurative, meaning that the subject is recognizable, but many lean towards abstraction. French painter Henri Matisse was the leader

Cubism is a Western art movement that began around 1907 in Paris, France and dissolved in 1914 due to the First World War. Cubism was led by artists Pablo Picasso and Georges Braque, who experimented with form and perspective to achieve the fragmented composition that was central to the movement. In this way and others,

Rayonism is an art movement that was created by Russian artists Mikhail Larionov and Natalia Goncharova in 1912. Directly influenced by Cubism, Rayonism is concerned with capturing the effects of light on objects, landscapes, and people. Rayonism is considered an early development in abstract art. Cubism originated in France and was active between 1907 and

Cubism emerged in France around 1907 and lasted until 1914. Cubist artwork typically features a fragmented composition representing the subject from all angles or overlapping geometric planes. Artists Pablo Picasso and Georges Braque led Cubism through its phases: Proto-Cubism, Analytical Cubism, and Synthetic Cubism. Expressionism emerged in Germany around the start of the 20th century

Cubism emerged in France around 1907 and lasted until 1914. Cubist artwork typically features a fragmented composition representing the subject from all angles with overlapping, geometric planes. Artists Pablo Picasso and Georges Braque led Cubism through its phases: Proto-Cubism, Analytical Cubism, and Synthetic Cubism. Impressionism is a style of painting also developed in France during

Cubism and Surrealism share many characteristics even though, as Modern art movements, they differ greatly. Cubism emerged around 1907 and lasted until 1914. Cubism is defined by its unique appearance due to artists rejecting the artistic traditions of perspective, modeling, and foreshortening. Cubist artwork typically features a fragmented composition representing the subject from all angles

Analytic Cubism and Synthetic Cubism are two major phases of Cubism with many similarities and differences. Analytic Cubism emerged around 1907 and lasted until 1912. Analytic Cubism is the first official phase of Cubism. Artists working in Analytic Cubism divided the subject into multiple viewpoints and reassembled it into flat, overlapping planes where the subject

Cubism is an avant-garde Modern art movement that is complex and highly experimental. Artistic experiments in Cubism gave rise to an “early Cubist” phase, encompassing Proto-Cubism and Cézanian Cubism. Then, Cubism developed in two distinct phases: Analytical Cubism, and Synthetic Cubism. Proto-Cubism is the initial phase that marked the evolution from Impressionism to Cubism, occurring

Cubism is a Modern art movement that emerged around 1907 in Paris, France. The Cubist movement consisted of two major phases: Analytic Cubism and Synthetic Cubism. Cubist artists reimagined conventional representation by rejecting the traditions of perspective, modeling, and foreshortening favored during the Renaissance. The result of this method was a heavily abstracted composition that

Futurism is an Avant-garde art and social movement that originated in Italy. The key document for the development of Futurism is the Manifesto of Futurism, which was published by Filippo Tommaso Marinetti in 1909. Several manifestos were created in the wake of futurist philosophy and all of them had a common attitude towards the past.

Cubism is a Modern art movement that emerged around 1907 in Paris, France. Four important characteristics of Cubism are the application of multiple perspectives, the use of geometric shapes, a monochromatic color palette, and a flattened picture plane.  Cubism’s novel handling of form, color, and perspective signaled a shift from the existing conventions of European

Futurism is an avant-garde art and social movement that originated in Italy. The key document for the development of futurism is the Manifesto of Futurism, published by Filippo Tommaso Marinetti in 1909. Several manifestos were created in the wake of futurist philosophy and all of them shared a common attitude towards the past. This was

This article will cover a brief overview of the historical development of Italian futurism as well as the dominant component of the ideology represented by futurists and related to the cult of youth, industrialization, speed, technology, and modernization. The roles of the most important futurist artists such as Umberto Boccioni, Giacomo Balla and Carlo Carrà

Paul Cézanne (1839-1906) was a French Post-Impressionist painter and one of the most influential figures in early Cubism. Cézanne is also widely regarded as a pioneer of Modern art. Cézanne’s use of perspective and geometric shapes predicted the multiple visible planes and geometric compositions central to the Cubist movement. Cézanne painted in various styles, including

Precisionism is the first originally American modernist movement. This movement was created after the First World War, and it achieved the most significant successes during the 1920s and 1930s. The Precisionists relied on the experiences of Cubism, Futurism, and Purism in forming their artistic language. These artists drew inspiration for their work from the American

What is Neo-Plasticism? Neo-Plasticism, or Neoplasticism, is an artistic philosophy and modern art style that is abstract, using only vertical lines, horizontal lines, and clearly defined primary colors. Artist Piet Mondrian applied the term Neo-Plasticism to his own artwork and that of the De Stijl artists, which followed these particular stylistic conventions. The abstraction of

  What is Photorealism? Photorealism refers to visual art that is based on a photograph, where the subject of that photograph is reproduced in painstaking detail through painting, sculpture, or other media. Photorealism often refers to an American art movement that began in the late 1960s, but artists in Europe were also creating Photorealist art

Constructivism was a Russian avant-garde art movement based on the idea of functionalism, symbiosis of technology and art, as well as the use of modern industrial materials. Constructivists as artist-engineers, sought to redefine the overall visual culture in the new Soviet society. The beginnings of constructivism can be recognized in experiments with abstract geometric constructions

What is Socialist Realism? Socialist realism is a form of modern realism that was the official state art in the Soviet Union and the countries under its influence from 1934 to the mid-1980s. In the visual arts, this direction brings a specific synthesis of communist propaganda with the traditions of realism, neoclassicism and romanticism. With

Suprematism is an Avant-garde artistic movement that Kasimir Malevich began to develop in 1913. The very term Suprematism refers to an artistic practice built on abstract forms characterized by “the supremacy of pure artistic feeling” in relation to the representative mimetic artistic tradition. Notable representatives of this movement are Kazimir Malevich, El Lissitzky, Alexandra Exter,

What is Classical Art? Classical art, or Classicism, refers to artwork that draws inspiration from ancient Roman or ancient Greek culture, architecture, literature, and art. Classicism was most popular in Western art during the Renaissance period and often depicted scenes from mythology through painting, sculpture, and printmaking. Classicism informs much of the subject matter depicted

What is Op Art? Op art is a form of abstract visual art that uses geometric forms to create optical illusions. The term “Op Art” is short for optical art. With the formal movement beginning in the 1960s, op artists explore theories of optics, perception and color theory by creating geometric patterns that create optical

What is Modern Art? Modern art is an art history period between the late 19th century until the mid-20th century that encompassed many different styles, in painting, sculpture, decorative arts and architecture.   Modern art is thought to have began with Impressionism in 1870, and continued through the several styles including Post-Impressionism, Fauvism, Expressionism, Cubism, Futurism,

The Norwich School of Painters or the Norwich Society of Artists was the first art movement in the UK to be linked to a specific British region. This movement existed from 1803 to 1834 and during this period it attracted a large number of artists who painted mostly landscapes of Norfolk and Norwich. Prominent members

The Ashcan School is an informal art group that operated in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. The term Ashcan School was coined by Alfred H. Barr and Holger Cahill in 1934, inspired by a drawing by Bellows with the title Disappointments of the Ash Can which depicts three men examining the contents of

What is Arte Povera? Arte Povera (Poor Art) is a contemporary art movement developed between the late 1960s and the 1970s in Italy. Arte Povera group had as its main center of activity the city of Turin, in Northern Italy. Arte Povera is distinguished by the use of non-conventional media and the political radicalism of the artistic practice. Italian artists

What is Postmodernism? Postmodernism was an artistic movement from the 1960s to the 1990s that rejected Modern art and idealism. Associated with philosophical critique, it defied categorization, yet encompassed many styles such as Pop art, Conceptual art, Neo-expressionism, Feminist art and works by Young British Artists (YBA). Postmodernism used popular culture to inspire artistic creations

What is Mannerism? Mannerism is an art style and movement of that emerged first in Florence and Rome, at the end of the High Renaissance, between 1520 and 1600, before Baroque style emerged. The popularity of Mannerist art spread to become an international artistic style. It wasn’t until the late 18th century however that archeologist

  What is Metaphysical Art? Metaphysical Art (from the Italian Pittura Metafisica) is an art movement that evolved in Italy at the beginning of the 20th century. The metaphysical painting is characterized by unexpected juxtapositions of unusual elements. They create oneiric and transcendent atmospheres while maintaining a realist style. It is also characterized by intense

Naturalism in art represents the orientation of artists towards the most natural forms in their work. This tendency can be recognized either in individual elements of the work of art or in its entirety. As such, this term is used for the purposes of analyzing this artistic trend regardless of the time period in which

Analytic Cubism is the early phase of the Cubism art movement that developed around 1907 and lasted until 1912. Analytic Cubism is characterized mostly by paintings that represent a subject from multiple overlapping viewpoints within a single picture plane. The resulting artworks had a fragmented, geometric and abstracted appearance. Artists Pablo Picasso, Georges Braque and

What is American Modernism? American modernism is part of a globally spread modernist artistic and cultural movement. As elsewhere, modernism in America has been developing since the end of the 19th century and culminated in the interwar period, which was crucial for repositioning America’s role in international relations. The modernist response to inherited cultural/artistic/political patterns

What is High Renaissance Art? High Renaissance art is defined as painting, sculpture, architecture, and other decorative arts created, during Renaissance period, between 1490-1527.  The rebirth of classicism, and an appreciation of the classical learning of ancient Greek and Rome as practiced by earlier Renaissance artists continued, with Renaissance art reaching its greatest heights. Notable

What is Expressionism? Expressionism is a modernist movement that first developed around 1905 and continued until around the end of World War II. Expressionist artists sought to represent the world from a subjective perspective by using color and distortion of the subject to evoke moods and achieve an emotional effect. Expressionism was initially very popular

Renaissance art is defined as the painting, sculpture, architecture and other decorative arts created in Europe between the 15th and 16th centuries, just after the Middle Ages. The Renaissance period provided a rebirth of classicism and an appreciation of the classical learning of ancient Greece and Rome, influencing fine art, literature and philosophy based on

Synthetic Cubism is the second phase of the Cubism art movement that lasted from 1912 to 1914, around the time of the first world war. Led by artists Pablo Picasso and Georges Braque, Synthetic Cubism is characterised by flat depictions of everyday objects and bolder, more symbolic compositions than its antecedent, Analytical Cubism. Many art

Plein air or en plein air is an approach to painting that involves painting in the open. Painting in nature became very popular during the 19th century. This popularity was generated by members of various artistic movements, primarily impressionists, naturalists, and post-impressionists. Numerous innovations in the field of painting tools have enabled the spread of

  What is Conceptual Art? The term Conceptual Art (also Conceptualism) refers to art practices where the emphasis on the concept of the work prevails over other formal or visual instances of art-making. The materials and techniques are secondary to the artwork’s idea. Andrew Wilson, Senior Curator of Modern & Contemporary British Art at Tate,

What is Abstract Expressionism? Abstract Expressionism is a modern art movement that developed in New York City after World War II and was initially popular during the 1940s and 1950s. Abstract Expressionism is recognized for its large-scale paintings consisting of large blocks of color and non-traditional treatment of materials and processes. Abstract Expressionist artists avoided

What is Impressionism? Impressionism is an art movement that originated in France in the 1860s and lasted until the late 1880s. The movement introduced new approaches to painting, such as capturing the changing effects of daylight on colors and objects at different times of the day, painting outdoors, and painting scenes from everyday life. The

What is Byzantine Art? Byzantine Art refers to the artistic production from the Byzantine Empire, which lasted from the 4th to 15th century AD. Famed for its development of Early Christian art, Byzantine icons and models continue to influence religious artworks to this day. The artistic and architectural production of the Byzantine Empire is divided

  What is Fauvism? Fauvism was an art movement that flourished in France from 1905 to 1908. It was led by Henri Matisse (1869 – 1954) and André Derain (1880 – 1954). Other important Fauvists were Maurice de Vlaminck, Henri Charles Manguin, Othon Friesz, Kees van Dongen, Georges Braque, and Raoul Dufy. Their work was

  What is Action Painting? The action painting, also known as “gestural painting,” is a style of abstract painting in which paint is spontaneously dripped, smeared, splashed, or poured directly onto the canvas. It emerged in the 1940s in the US among a group of artists belonging to Abstract Expressionism, including Willem de Kooning (1904

What is Art Nouveau? Art Nouveau is the name that was later given to what emerged at the very end of the 19th century as an international style of art, architecture and design. Similarities in terms of aesthetics, origin and short duration—ending before the First World War began in 1914—were held by groups of artists,

Cubism is a Western modern art movement that began around 1907 in Paris, France and started to decline in 1914 with the start of the First World War. Although the original Cubist movement changed dramatically during this time, its influence lived on in art movements like Futurism, Constructivism, Abstract Expressionism, and others. Cubism was led