What art period are we in? Art History Timeline

We have been making art since humans were able to use their hands. Human visual expression, from ancient cave drawings to the Sistine Chapel ceiling, may reveal a lot about the lives of those who make it. You must be familiar with the wide timeline of art history in order to properly comprehend the cultural, social, and historical relevance of various pieces of art. The historical circumstances from which several key periods of art production have emerged are briefly discussed in this article.

An art movement is a particular aesthetic developed through time by a number of artists who have a same philosophy or objective. Art trends of the present are starting to emerge. "Creative Pluralism" is a term used to describe the acceptance of many artistic goals and styles in contemporary visual art. They frequently convey the individual and the emergence of a special viewpoint.

When did art start?

Humanity has been producing art to reflect its own identity since it became conscious of itself. We are aware of the creation of the earliest cave paintings around 40,000 years ago. Paleolithic paintings and sketches of human activity have been discovered in caves and under rocks. We can never fully understand why these primitive humans started creating art. Perhaps they used painting and sketching to preserve their memories, to narrate tales to small children, or to transmit knowledge from one generation to the next.

Despite the presence of these fine instances of early artistic expression, the Romanesque Era is where the history of art officially starts. The exquisite frescos created in Egypt and Crete around 2000 BC, as well as cave paintings, sculptures, and other works of art from the stone age, are not included in official art era timelines. This choice was made because these early periods of artistic expression were constrained to a very narrow geographic area. Contrarily, the official art eras that we will be reviewing today are spread out over a large number of nations, sometimes all of Europe and occasionally North and South America.

These oldest evidence of human creative ability, although not receiving formal acknowledgment, present many intriguing issues. Why are animals portrayed in cave paintings so much more lifelike and vibrant than those portrayed in subsequent eras?

Timeline of Art Periods

It is hard to distinguish the various art periods exactly, as is the case with many aspects of human history. Based on how each movement spread throughout many nations, the dates in the parentheses below are estimations. Some of the more recent eras occurred at the same time as some of the art periods, and many of them have significant overlaps. While some periods continue for many thousand years, others are shorter than 10. Recent periods emerge from earlier ones in the ongoing investigation that is art.

Art Period	Years
Romanesque	1000 – 1150
Gothic	1140 – 1600
Renaissance	1495 – 1527
Mannerism	1520 – 1600
Baroque	1600 – 1725
Rococo	1720 – 1760
Neoclassicism	1770 – 1840
Romanticism	1800 – 1850
Realism	1840 – 1870
Pre-Raphaelite	1848 – 1854
Impressionism	1870 – 1900
Naturalism	1880 – 1900
Post-Impressionism	1880 – 1920
Symbolism	1880 – 1910
Expressionism	1890 – 1939
Art Noveau	1895 – 1915
Cubism	1905 – 1939
Futurism	1909 – 1918
Dadaism	1912 – 1923
New Objectivity	1918 – 1933
Precisionism	1920 – 1950
Art Deco	1920 – 1935
Bauhaus	1920 – 1925
Surrealism	1924 – 1945
Abstract Expressionism	1945 – 1960
Pop-Art / Op Art	1956 – 1969
Arte Povera	1960 – 1969
Minimalism	1960 – 1975
Photorealism	1968 – now
Lowbrow Pop Surrealism	1970 – now
Contemporary Art	1978 – now

It might seem odd that our timeline of the art era ended 30 years ago. The idea of a creative age doesn't seem to adequately describe the wide range of artistic movements that have emerged since the start of the twenty-first century. Some art historians believe that the conventional idea of painting has vanished in our fast-paced society. This is not our position. As the cave people did, we continue to convey our own human experiences through the medium of art instead, outside of our current categorization system.

Streams of Art and Technology

The technological advancements of the time had an impact on artists. We may make links between the advancements in technology and the decisions that well-known artists made while developing their styles. Monet challenged us to go beyond realism with Impressionism. Realist paintings, in his opinion, had become obsolete with the development of photography. Instead, he captured his instant reactions and the impact that light and shadow have on how we see a topic. Picasso went a step farther and used cubism to show all aspects and forms of reality simultaneously. Architects, furniture manufacturers, and fashion designers were all inspired by this trend. The new liberties made possible by industrial revolution technology opened doors and provided access to artistic developments. Although Picasso and other artists of the era were aware of advancements and portrayed the period in their works, they did not initiate the industrial revolution.

Present-day Art Movements and Technology

Through digital art, today's technology is quickly transforming our social relationships and the surrounding environment. These changes are leading to the emergence of an individualistic society that values different viewpoints. With the goal of creating new approaches and showcasing their uniqueness, artists are experimenting with technology. Today's art is dynamic and alive, with many different styles and little movements. It is about the person and their particular viewpoint. On the basis of what has previously been found by great artists, artists are encouraged to ponder, learn about, and create new aesthetic expressions. Artists may experiment with mediums and create new art forms thanks to this new progression. The art revolution we are currently in includes both digital and commercial art.

Social issues of the day and art movements

Technology has increased communication inside social groupings and across cultural boundaries, but it has decreased interpersonal relationships. Information and access are no longer restricted. The rapid sharing of knowledge has made us conscious of our modern society's effects on the environment. Artistic expression throughout the later part of the 20th century centered on social injustice. Humanitarian problems and environmental concerns in the globe gave voice to a generation of activist art as cultures became accessible to our knowledge. As activist mediums, artists employed performance art, happenings, graffiti, expressionism, and contemporary art.

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