Art: Paint and Sculpture

HISTORY

Prehistoric Art
The world's most ancient works of art date form 30 000 BC. This is vastly earlier than the first written records and means that the greater part of art history is, in fact, prehistoric. It was during the prehistoric period that virtually all the major artistic media evolved, including drawing, painting, sculptures, ceramics and, arguably, architecture.

Egyptian Art
Early civilizations flourished along the great river valleys of the Nile in Egyps, adn the Trigirs and Euphrates from Anatolia )present-day Turkey), through Syria into Mesapotomia (present-day Iraq). The rivers linked these regions in an extensive trade network that also encompassed Persia (present-day Iran) to the east, but variations in climate, geography, natural resources and population resulted in corresponding variations in artistics traditions.

Greek and Roman Art
The arts of Greece and Rome are characterized by a sense of proportion, harmony and balance. Since the Renaissance, Classical decoration, whether ornate or simple, has frequently provided architects with a fruitful source of ideas, and Classical imagery has enriched the work of poets, painters and sculptors. In general, Classical form has exerted a largely civilizing influence over the past two anda half millennia.

400-1250

1200-1450

1450-1750

1750-1850

1850-1950

1950-Present

STYLES

EVENTS

PEOPLE

GLOSSARY OF TERMS