What Are the Periods of Art History?

Art|Art History

The history of art is divided into periods that reflect the major styles of art that have been created. These periods are often referred to as “schools” because they encompass numerous art movements, all related in some way. A comprehensive understanding of art history requires familiarity with the key works, artists, and schools in each period.

Prehistoric Art (Prehistory-3000 BC)
The earliest known artistic expressions are those of prehistoric people, dating back tens of thousands of years. This period is often divided into two distinct categories: Paleolithic and Neolithic. Paleolithic people created stone tools and rudimentary sculptures and paintings, while Neolithic people developed more sophisticated techniques for pottery making, weaving and use of metals.

Ancient Art (3000 BC-500 AD)
Ancient art encompasses some of the oldest surviving works from civilizations all over the world. Ancient Egypt is perhaps the most well-known example, with its stunning painted murals and intricate hieroglyphs adorning temple walls.

Mesopotamian cultures such as Sumerian and Babylonian produced highly detailed relief carvings in stone or clay tablets, while ancient Greece is renowned for its statues and vase painting. Ancient Chinese art is equally impressive and includes silk paintings, lacquerware, porcelain objects and calligraphy.

Classical Art (500 BC-500 AD)
Classical art refers to the styles developed during a period of tremendous cultural development in Europe and Asia around 500 BC – 500 AD. This period marked a shift away from traditional religious subject matter towards humanistic themes such as love, war and death. Greek sculpture was particularly influential during this time; its lifelike statues depicting idealized human forms remain popular today. Roman painting was also distinctive; large frescoes decorated public buildings with scenes from mythology or history while mosaics were used to decorate private homes or public baths.

Medieval Art (500-1400 AD)
During the Middle Ages, religious themes dominated European painting as Christianity spread across Europe. Iconography was used extensively to convey religious allegories or stories from the Bible; Byzantine mosaics were particularly impressive in this regard. In sculpture too there was a strong emphasis on ecclesiastical figures; Gothic cathedrals featured intricately carved figures as decoration on their walls or ceilings. Renaissance Art (1400-1600 AD)
The Renaissance marked a turning point in European culture; its focus on the revival of classical ideals brought about a new level of sophistication in artworks that had not been seen before this time period. The use of perspective became much more pronounced in both painting and sculpture; artists sought to capture realistic images using light effects which gave their works a greater sense of depth than had previously been achieved before this time period.

Conclusion:

The periods outlined above provide a broad overview of the major developments in Western art history over time; they are useful for understanding how different styles have evolved over time but it should be noted that there are many other significant movements within these broad categories that can be explored further if desired.

What Are The Periods Of Art History? Prehistoric Art, Ancient Art, Classical Art, Medieval Art, Renaissance Art are five distinct periods that collectively cover Western art history from ancient times up through modern day.