Concept of the History of Art and its meaning

Learn with us through this interesting article everything related to the History of art which will allow you to know a little more about the evolution of art from the various activities carried out by human beings with an aesthetic or communicative intention. Don't stop reading it!

HISTORY OF ART

What is the history of art about?

You must know in the first instance that the history of art is a discipline in charge of the study of art and its evolution throughout the history of humanity since we know it.

Another thing that you should take into account is that the history of art is not in charge of studying all art disciplines but rather emphasizes the higher arts such as painting, sculpture, architecture, literature and dance, also known by the term of fine art. Arts.

Therefore, the origin of art is uncertain, but according to the investigations that have been carried out, it is said that the history of art begins in the Chauvet Cave.

It is in this place where the oldest cave painting that has been observed until then has been evidenced, according to the studies that have been carried out, dating from 30.000 years ago.

In turn, historians, in order to explain the history of art, have decided to divide it by periods and this in turn is classified by style, today this is known as art schools or artistic currents.

HISTORY OF ART

Due to this, it is the cave art that initiates the history of art and according to the civilizations that have been developing before the fall of the Roman Empire, which happened according to the studies carried out in the year 476 before Christ.

Among those civilizations you will have heard in the history of art about Egypt, India, Armenia, China, Ancient Greece and Rome among others, so do not hesitate to continue reading this interesting article where we will learn this interesting topic together.

In the first instance, we invite you to learn about the stage of prehistory and its divisions according to the history of art so that you understand how human beings made their symbology according to their knowledge:

The history of art and prehistory

As you well know, prehistory corresponds to the art made by the human being from the primitive, this stage is integrated into the Stone Age, which in turn is made up of the Upper Paleolithic, Mesolithic and Neolithic.

Then it will be followed by the Metal Age as we will detail in this interesting article on the history of art, so do not hesitate to continue reading on this topic.

Through the artistic manifestations of Homo Sapiens this is observed through the findings that have been shown to date from 25.000 to 8.000 years before Christ.

It is at this time that humanity subsists through hunting, fishing and gathering food as well as living inside caves.

Paleolithic

Being these the places where the cave paintings are observed and they come from when the human being was a homo Neanderthalensis, it dates from about sixty-five thousand years ago according to the studies that have been carried out that can corroborate what the Maltravieso caves are like in the town of Caceres.

Just as the history of art is observed in the cave of Ardales located in the town of Malaga as well as the Pasiega in the town of Cantabria.

It is important to note that the main findings related to this interesting topic belong to the Upper Paleolithic and are characteristic qualities of Homo Sapiens some twenty-five thousand years before Christ.

HISTORY OF ART

Being according to the investigations the greatest boom is found in the Magdalenian period around the years 15.000 to 8.000 before Christ and the first objects created by man are evident in southern Africa in the Western Mediterranean, as well as in Europe. central and eastern Adriatic Sea.

Likewise, in Lake Baikal in Siberia, as well as in India and Australia, it is observed in the history of art, instruments made from stone, whether flint or obsidian, were also made with bones and wood.

In addition, they colored them using paint, the following colors being red based on iron oxide, black using manganese oxide and also the ocher color using clay.

Therefore, the history of art begins in this period through cave painting and it has been found in the Franco-Cantabrian region where you can see some paintings related to magic and religion in a natural way using the walls of the caves. to represent the animals.

Among the caves that stand out in the history of art related to cave paintings are the caves of Tito Bustillo, Altamira, Chauvet, Trois Frères and Lascaux.

HISTORY OF ART

Likewise, sculptures such as that of Venus can be observed in this period, which is well known, you will have observed its images in books and videos, being the feminine symbology in honor of fertility, the Venus of Willendorf is also representative of this time.

The man from Brno, the Lady of Brassempouy, as well as the Mammoth of Vogelherd, are also very well known. It is in this period that the first manifestations related to dance and music begin.

Therefore, primitive man recognized a certain harmony in his own voice that transmitted pleasant emotions to human beings and allowed the history of art to be made in these sounds that he emitted and differentiated.

As music is a means of transmission through the body, it communicates with the intention of being able to express feelings as well as sharing rituals such as marriages, births or funerals.

From the history of art, the primitive human being implements the shells, bones, trunks, reeds and stones to make music through the beating of the heart giving a certain harmony to the dance or dance.

Neolithic

Now, this period occurs from the year 8.000 before Christ and evidence is shown in the history of art in the Near East because of its nomadic quality it is transformed into a sedentary being.

Learning to cultivate the land for his benefit in addition to domesticating certain animals that provided him with food and clothing such as cattle and religion is developed.

The painting known as Levanten is evident in the history of art and belongs to the Mesolithic and Neolithic period where human figures made in a schematic way are observed.

Here it can be seen in geographical places such as El Cogul, Valltorta, Minateda and Alpera and they are also observed in other places in North Africa, specifically in the Sahara and Atlas, such as in what is known today as Zimbabwe.

It is evident in the history of art that this type of painting has the quality that it is schematic, so basic lines are evident that represent a man as a cross and a woman as a triangle.

HISTORY OF ART

In addition, in America, this form of painting is also observed in the town of Argentina in the Pinturas River in the cave known as the Cueva de las Manos.

Cardial ceramics decorated through the impression of shells are observed here in the history of art and even textile art is evidenced and new materials such as amber, rock such as quartz and jasper, in addition to glass, enter.

As we had mentioned in this interesting article, man was beginning to become sedentary and finds are evident in Tell as-Sultan located in Jericho as well as in the nation of Iraq in Jarmo and in the country known as Anatolia in the town of Catalhövük.

Age of metals

To end the period known as Prehistory we will talk about the Age of metals in the history of art where the usefulness of some elements by human beings was implemented, such as bronze, copper.

In addition to iron, which is observed in the Chalcolithic, the Megalithic was made where funeral monuments were made to say goodbye to loved ones, the dolmen being recognized in addition to the menhir.

HISTORY OF ART

Not forgetting the English cromlech detailed at Stonehenge. In the Spanish nation, the culture known as the Millares can be evidenced, where the quality is a bell-shaped ceramic and the figures that represent human beings are provided with enormous eyes.

In the town of Malta, according to the history of art, there is evidence of a number of sanctuaries in Mudajdra, Tarxien and Ggantija, as well as in the Balearic Islands, where the megalithic culture with multiple monuments is also evident.

One of them is the naveta, which is a tomb that has an amputated pyramidal shape where you can find the burial chamber in an elongated shape, in addition to the taula, which are two huge stones that are placed vertically, then two rocks horizontally.

Without forgetting the talabot, which is a tower inside, there is a chamber that has a lining similar to a false dome. The Iron Age stands out in the history of art, evidenced in the cultures of Hallstatt in the Australian nation corresponding to the XNUMXth century BC. C., and La Tené in Switzerland in the XNUMXth century BC. of C

For what is observed as a quality of this period the necropolis that are frame tombs where the burial chamber is made of wood as if it were a house and they even placed a cart with its four wheels.

Regarding the ceramics of this period in art history, it is observed that it is polychrome, geometric representations are observed in addition to certain applications that serve as decoration that is made with the implementation of metals.

With regard to the town of Tène, it developed between the XNUMXth and XNUMXst centuries before Christ, where it merged with the Celtic culture. Due to them, objects made with iron are evident, such as spears, shields, fibulae and swords that were made according to the evolution of culture.

In those territories between the I, II and III centuries but later they received influences from other cultures such as the Etruscan Greek as well as the art of the steppes.

The history of art in ancient times

Here you can observe the first artistic creations in the history of art from the use of writing and it is at this time that the development of great civilizations specifically in the Near East is observed.

Among them, Mesopotamia and Egypt, but we must also take into account the artistic manifestations in other continents, since the settlement of large cities appears in history.

HISTORY OF ART

As is the case of some cities that were delimited by large rivers that are well known in universal history, such as the Nile, Tigris, Euphrates, Indus and the Yellow River, which are of great importance for the history of art.

Being a great advance of this period the writing that was made in the first instance to keep economic records and commercial sales, so the first of these records date from a cuneiform writing in the city of Mesopotamia for the year 3500 BC. of C

This writing was made by this culture in tablets made from clay and it consisted of pictographic and ideographic data and then another culture known as the Sumerians were in charge of making a syllabic annex that will allow a phonology and syntax to the Sumerian language.

Egypt also had its share in art history through the development of hieroglyphic writing and is evidenced by the Narmer Palette in 3.100 BC. of C

The Hebrew culture also had its intervention through the alphabet created in the year 1.800 BC. of C., known as abbad and a symbol is presented for each phoneme is from this language that emanates two well-known alphabets such as Greek and Latin.

HISTORY OF ART

Mesopotamia

It corresponds to what is known today as Syria and Iraq from the fourth century BC. of C. here the intervention of several cultures among which are Sumerian, Amorritas, Akkadians, Chaldeans and Assyrians is evident.

Here architecture is evidenced as part of the history of art, the use of bricks is used in addition to the creation of a system known as lintels.

In addition to the implementation of elements that allowed the construction such as the arch in addition to the vault. In order to make the ziggurats, which are enormous sanctuaries that have a pyramidal shape according to the remains that have been found.

So the history of art evidences the tombs that were made through a corridor with a chamber that was cushioned by an illusory vault and these are observed in the town of Ur.

They also stood out in the elaboration of palaces with a gigantic wall in the form of terraces with enormous gardens, one of the greatest examples being the Gardens of Babylon, being one of the seven wonders that are part of the Ancient World.

Another of the qualities of the history of art in this period is evidenced in the carving or relief sculptures where you can see scenes of a religious nature, military or hunting confrontations where human beings, animals or mythological beings can be represented.

In what corresponds to the Sumerian era, small statues that predominated in their angled forms are observed in the history of art, in addition to the implementation of colored stone or paste for the design of the eyes that were devoid of hair and their hands were placed at chest height.

While in the Akkadian culture they wear hair in addition to an extensive beard in the male figures, one of their most important representations is the Naram-Sin.

As for the morrita stage, symbols surrounding the king of Gudea de Lagash are observed where he wears a turban in addition to a cloak and with respect to the hands placed on his chest in terms of Babylonian rule, the stele of Hammurabi can be mentioned.

Another of the sculptures is the Assyrian where anthropomorphic figures are detailed where bulls or geniuses with wings are symbolized, which can be seen on the doors of the palaces and the same in reliefs where there are hunting scenes or military confrontations, a clear example of the black Obelisk of Shalmaneser III.

HISTORY OF ART

A clear detail of the history of art is that with the invention of writing, literature appears as a way to express the artistic creativity of the human being and in Sumerian literature a poem named Gilgamesh dating from the XNUMXth century BC stands out. of C

In addition, several writings were made about thirty legends regarding Sumerian divinities and the Akkadian civilization, the best known being Inanna's Descent into Hell as well as other myths related to the deities Enki and Tammuz.

Another poem that stands out is known with the title The works of Ninurta where moral and pedagogical actions are outlined with respect to the Akkadian culture, the Atrahasis related to the flood becomes relevant and in the Babylonian culture the poem Enúma Elish related to the creation of the world takes attention. .

Music is part of the history of art and in this region between the fourth and third millennium BC through rituals in Sumerian sanctuaries where songs known as hymns or psalms that are identified with the word ersemma addressed to the deities were performed. of these cultures.

Therefore, liturgical songs were performed where responsories are formed, which is a song where the priests and the choir alternate, as well as antiphons, which is a song that is performed by two choirs.

HISTORY OF ART

In addition to the implementation of multiple instruments such as the tigi or flute, the balag, which is a drum, the lilis, an archaic form of kettledrum, the algar, which was a kind of lyre, the zagsal, which is a harp, and finally a tambourine known as adapa. .

Egypt

It is another of the great civilizations that showed great interest in the history of art through its complex productions by its artisans.

It was related to mysticism and religion, for which it was purely symbolic and the political connotation prevailed through the hierarchy of the pharaoh who was immortal and due to this, works of great majesty are built, which are observed to have been made from the year 3.000 BC.

It is important to emphasize in the history of art that the Egyptian influence reached the period of Charlemagne allowing its dominance in Coptic and Byzantine art. As for the architecture, stone was used in immense blocks and the construction was used in a lintel form as well as massive columns.

In Egyptian art, the majestic funerary works stand out, where the following are observed: Mastaba, which is a rectangular tomb, then there are the Pyramids, which are stepped and the term for it is Saggarah, the smooth-sided structures known as Gizeh also stand out.

In addition to the Hypogea, which are tombs that have been excavated in the ground or in walls near precipices such as the Valley of the Kings.

Another of the enormous buildings that are characterized in the Egyptian civilization and are part of the history of art are the sanctuaries dedicated to its numerous deities which were preceded by immense sphinxes as well as two obelisks.

For the entrance there are two trapezoid-shaped walls and a patio that is devoid of a roof and is followed by a room called hypostyle where there are a large number of columns with a flat roof and finally the sanctuary dedicated to the divinities.

Egyptian culture highlights several deities such as Karnak, Edfu and Luxor, each of them had its sanctuary, there were also other funeral temples that were known by the term speos, which are underground funeral homes in caves.

Called hypogeum that are underground galleries and highlight Abu Simbel which is an archaeological site in Nubia in southern Egypt as well as Deir el-Bahari which means the convent of the north and there are a set of sanctuaries and funeral tombs on the western bank of the Nile river.

HISTORY OF ART

The history of art is demonstrated through painting and sculpture where there are figurative representations where rigidity and schematization are observed in their works. Through sculpture, the representation of various pharaohs and deities began from the first dynasties of this civilization.

The greatest rise of the Egyptian civilization in terms of sculpture is highlighted in the IV dynasty where elegant statues finely finished through their polishing are evidenced and the materials used are granite in addition to diorite.

The law of frontality such as hieraticism is evident in the history of the art of this culture, in addition to the use of geometric figures that were symbols that represented life after death.

Also highlighted in this civilization are some small figures made with baked earth or wood that presented a greater realism in their features in relation to funerary sculptures.

They symbolized scenes of daily life of that historical moment, they are known by the name of ushabti and they were placed inside the funeral caves, the most important ones were carved in lapis lazuli.

HISTORY OF ART

As for painting in the history of art in the Egyptian civilization, it has the quality of representing juxtaposed figures on superimposed planes.

These images represented on the walls are placed according to the hierarchy since the pharaoh was larger in relation to his retinue or enemies who were at his side.

It is observed that these images were drawn and placed in profile but the shoulders and eyes of the characters were placed frontally.

In this civilization, cabinetmaking and goldsmithing evolved, they stand out in the furniture made with wood called cedar, predominating inlays of ebony and ivory that were placed in the tombs of Yuya and Tuyu.

That other pieces of great prominence can be seen in the Cairo Museum belong to the tomb of Pharaoh Tutan Khamen. It is also important to highlight literature in the history of the art of this culture.

Well, they were the pioneers in making the literary format that we currently know being the book and the Egyptians were responsible for its creation.

Among the best stories or legends is that of Sinuhé who was a servant of Osiris I and this legend dates back to the middle of the XNUMXth century before Christ. Then he highlights another masterpiece known as the book of the dead that is outlined in the Papyrus of Ani and corresponds to the thirteenth century BC. of C

Music is also important in this Egyptian culture for the history of art, primarily in the religious sphere, and the vocal act is detailed, which is why annually they celebrated festivities where these songs were represented, they were part of the Jewish and Christian cult.

They highlight in their culture the use of musical instruments such as the sistrum, which was a very old instrument similar to a horseshoe that was crossed by rods and in them were metal plates that when moved, the musical sound was obtained.

Other instruments were the ser which was a kind of forerunner of the tambourine, the ben which was a form of harp, the flute known by the name of seba, the trumpet by the name of sneb.

HISTORY OF ART

In addition to the clarinet that was known by the name of met, they even created a hydraulic organ and in the tomb of Tutankhamun two trumpets made of silver were found.

America

Surprisingly, in the American continent, the evolution of the inhabitants who, being nomads, became sedentary and began to cultivate the land, the most important product being corn, was carried out simultaneously around the seventh millennium BC. of C

The first civilizations were created in the highlands of the nation that we know today as Mexico, in this region a priestly caste of great importance was developed, they were possessors of excellent mathematical and astronomical knowledge.

Its beginnings in the history of art are demonstrated in the year 1300 BC in the town of Xochipala, which is currently known as the State of Guerrero.

In this territory, statuettes made through clay that showed great ingenuity in their design were evidenced. In terms of civilization, the first was the Olmec, which was located in the geographical space that today corresponds to the Mexican states named Veracruz and Tabasco.

HISTORY OF ART

Being one of its qualities the stone sculptures where great naturalism is evident as evidenced by one of them known by the name of Luchador that was found in the town of Santa María Uxpanapa, other of its incredible sculptures are the monolithic heads that measure around 3,5 .XNUMX meters high.

In what corresponds to the Zapotecs who settled in the town of Oaxaca, the city of the temples that is part of the history of art located in Monte Albán and in the northernmost part of America highlighted other cultures known as the Hohokam. , Anasazi and Mogollon.

With respect to the Peruvian nation, great temples or sanctuaries are observed before the invention of ceramics in the third millennium BC. C. Corresponding to Sechín Alto and Kuntur Wasi and one of the most outstanding in this period is the Chavín de Huántar in the year 900 BC.

It is a great sanctuary built in phases and the structure of this religious complex is in the shape of a U, with a square that is tiled through relief tiles where beautiful jaguars and other animals from the mythology of this civilization can be seen.

The sanctuary was built from three floors where you can see galleries as well as a monolith that is in the center made of white granite with a height of 4,5 meters.

Likewise, a great evolution in weaving is observed, being the first in the world, since around two hundred colors were spun on a loom and the Paracas wool blankets stand out, being a great textile company.

It is also necessary to name other cultures in the American region, such as the Moche and the Nazca, from where the Nazca geoglyphs that you may have observed in videos and images are observed.

In the Amazon area, the culture known as Barrancoide stands out, which presented ceramics with incised designs, as well as the culture of San Agustín, where a large number of monolithic sculptures belonging to the region of Colombia can be seen.

Africa

You must take into account the magical religious aspect that overwhelms the history of art related to Africa due to the various rituals as well as ceremonies that demonstrate the large number of gods without any aesthetic purpose but a large number of ornamental productions are observed.

For the realization of their sculptures they used wood, ivory and stone for the realization of anthropomorphic masks where the quality is a large head supported on a straight body and the limbs are short.

HISTORY OF ART

Other articles related to the history of art are jewelry, ceramics and fabrics and even some objects made through metallurgy since iron was known since the XNUMXth century BC.

One of the best known sculptures of this culture is the Nok in the XNUMXst millennium BC. C. it was in what is now known as Nigeria where sculptures made of terracotta were found.

Showing human figures in many of them, only the head is observed, as in animals such as snakes, monkeys and elephants, so a naturalistic sense is evident.

In addition, sculptures with their own hairstyles and features are observed, including necklaces and bracelets, while in Sudan, where other cultures named Kerma and Meroe are observed, which present large sculptures made of clay as a quality, in addition to their ceramics and the weapons they used.

With respect to Ethiopia, one of the cities that drew attention in the history of art is Aksum, which reached its peak in the fourth century, demonstrating a script in a language known as ge'es and a monetary system, highlighting the monolithic pillar stelae that represent a funerary area twenty meters high.

HISTORY OF ART

Asia and Art

This great continent can be evidenced by great cultures that developed and through this interesting article we are going to detail it so that you can be more informed about its evolution in this period in the history of art.

India

In this culture the religious sphere predominates and has allowed the origin of various religions well known today such as Hinduism, Islam, Buddhism, and Christianity. Another of its qualities is the integration of nature in the history of art as part of the adaptation to the universe.

Natural elements are fundamental support in this culture as is the case of rivers, mountains, trees are sacred to this civilization.

It begins in the Indus culture, the first civilization that developed in the 1920th and XNUMXth centuries before Christ through excavations carried out by archaeologists dating from the year XNUMX.

Then follows the Vedic period between the XNUMXth and XNUMXth centuries BC, as well as the pre-Karian culture that corresponds to the XNUMXth to XNUMXrd centuries BC. C. where the Aryan peoples entered the religious traditions of this Asian culture.

It is commented in the history of art that Buddhism and Jainism began in the XNUMXth century before Christ, in addition to the Persian influence, and it was Alexander the Great who allowed communication between the Hellenistic art of Greece with the Greco-Buddhist forms found in the Archaeological sites.

It is important to mention the Maurya dynasty of the Buddhist doctrine where brick replaces stone, as is the case of A'soka's palace located in Pātaliputra and also highlights scenes from the life of Buddha in the history of art in the Stüpa of Sänchi.

With regard to the art of Gandhära, the Greco-Buddhist mixture is observed in images of Buddha, evolving the stupa between the XNUMXnd and XNUMXst centuries before Christ.

It is followed by the art of Mathurä, where Greco-Roman traditions are mixed, but there are few representations that can be found due to the Islamic invasion.

Literature developed in this culture from the year 25.000 BC and its writing is Sanskrit, with the initials known as Veda and allude to the truth as it is referred to in the history of art. Themes such as religion and warfare are evoked in a magical setting.

HISTORY OF ART

They also used a sacred book in this culture that allowed the development of theater in addition to singing, music and mimicry related to mythologies referring to deities. As for the music of this civilization, it shows an eclectic intention due to the diversity of ethnic groups that this country includes.

China

As for the Chinese nation, its evolution with regard to the history of art has been much more uniform according to the dynasties that were reigning in different periods of time.

Likewise, the religious load is observed in the doctrines of Buddhism, Taoism and Confucianism, in addition to the interest in the relationship with nature.

Which was observed in his calligraphy, ceramics, silk and porcelain as well as in his architecture, sculpture and painting as a philosophy of life. The Shang Dynasty that occurred between the years 1600 to 1046 before Christ is observed in the first instance.

It is observed in this period in the history of art its vessels and sculptures made of bronze where anthropomorphic figures are evidenced in addition to the use of jade and ivory in funerary centers that have been found in archaeological centers.

HISTORY OF ART

As for the Zhou Dynasty that developed in the year 1045 to 256 before Christ, a style of highly stylized figures is observed as well as dynamic as is observed in this period of art history.

In addition to the entry of Taoism and Confucianism that influenced the various activities related to art, highlighting the work with jade as well as relief decoration and the appearance of lacquer for aesthetic purposes.

Another of the dynasties is Oin between 221 and 206 BC in this period China was unified and what you know as the Great Wall was built to prevent foreign invasions, it is 2400 kilometers long and has a height of nine meters in addition to guard towers measuring twelve meters high.

In this period, the terracotta army found in the Mausoleum of Qin Shi Huang is of great importance for the history of art, which were made in natural measure as well as horses and chariots in which a great naturalism is evidenced in addition to an excellent physiognomy and attention to detail.

There is also the Han Dynasty in the years 206 to 220 after Christ, which was a time when peace and prosperity reigned in this nation.

The Buddhist religion was introduced slowly but very ascendantly, creating a large number of funerary chapels where mythological figures of winged animals such as tigers, lions and horses can be seen.

With regard to painting in this period of art history, interest in the imperial court is observed, including officials and nobles, in addition to using the relief technique in sanctuaries and chambers for offerings with motifs characteristic of Confucianism in a simple way. and linear.

Another of the periods is the Six Dynasties that corresponds to the years 220 to 618 after Christ where Buddhism predominated and huge sanctuaries were made with large sculptures of Buddha and also the Silk Road was influenced by what is known as the West. Asian.

Painting in the history of art is observed the formulation of the six principles that Xie He enunciated that was developed in the sixth century and calligraphy is initiated in an artistic way through the legendary figure of Wang Xianzhi.

As for literature in this civilization, it developed through religious motifs from the XNUMXth and XNUMXth centuries BC and is known as the Five Classics in art history.

HISTORY OF ART

There is also music with a pentatonic quality since five musical notes were used, unlike the Western where seven musical notes are used.

Regarding the predynastic period, the use of various musical instruments is observed, such as the ch'ing, which was a sonorous stone, the flute, which was the hsüan, the drum with the name of ku, in addition to the bell with the name of chun. .

Japan

This culture was also influenced by other civilizations as highlighted in the history of art, especially China and Korea. Much of their art highlights the Shinto religious aspect that was formed in the first century and still endures in this nation.

The Jömon Period is observed in this nation between the years 5000 to 200 before Christ and it is observed from the Mesolithic in addition to the Neolithic, instruments were made from bones and polished stones as well as ceramics where anthropomorphic figures are observed.

This nation remained isolated from the continent, so its productions are its own but of little relevance. You should know about the ceramics of this period, it is the oldest in the world, it was made by hand and incisions or impressions were observed through ropes.

HISTORY OF ART

Then follows the period known as the Yavoi between 200 B.C. from Christ to 200 after Christ where the civilization of the mainland entered the island nation through the relations that were made with China and Korea.

Therefore, it was used to use larger graves where the camera is observed and the tumult is decorated with terracotta-based cylinders.

Another of the periods was Kofun between the years 200 to 600 years after Christ and it is at this time that the tombs of the Oun emperors from the years 200 to 310 and the Nintoku between the years 310 to 399 stand out.

In addition, the production of jewelry, weapons, ceramics as well as terracotta figures known as haniwa arise. It is in this period that the first signs of painting in the tombs of Kyüshü are observed in the history of art and in what corresponds to the XNUMXth and XNUMXth centuries after Christ.

The royal burial of Otsuka is evidenced and the Isa shrine stands out in architecture. With respect to literature, she is influenced by Chinese culture due in the first instance to the adoption of Chinese writing.

In the Kojiki, which is the story of ancient things in terms of music in this civilization, its first manifestations are found in the honkyoku, which are typical of the XNUMXth century before Christ.

Likewise, folk songs are observed and in terms of religious aspects, the kagura is found and is related to the legend referring to Amaterasu, who was the goddess of the sun, and among the musical instruments, the oboe, known as hichiriki, as well as drums called o-kakki and o-daiko.

Oceania

In relation to this art, it is observed that it is the diversity of multiple island territories that occupy part of the Pacific Ocean, among them Australia stands out in addition to New Zealand without forgetting the archipelagos such as Polynesia, Melanesia and Micronesia.

The culture known as Lapita stands out between the years 1500 to 500 BC, they belong to New Caledonia and can also be seen in New Guinea and in the Solomon Islands, Tonga, Fivi and Samosa that belong to Western Polynesia.

Its greatest quality is the ceramics decorated with toothed motifs made with combs or spikes, as well as objects made with obsidian and shells. With respect to Australia, the cave paintings are evident, which are schematic and demonstrate the geometric simplification.

HISTORY OF ART

classical art

In relation to classical art, it is related to ancient Greece and Rome, it is based on the history of art through nature and the human being as a harmonious and balanced state as well as the rationality of shapes and volumes and we will detail them in this interesting article.

tracksuit

With regard to this region, the classical period corresponds to the V and VI centuries before Christ, well known as the century of Pericles, and the intellectual formation is observed.

Where the Greek classics as a great education related to humanism and was rich in culture, economy and politics making a great splendor of its capital Athens.

Well, this great politician was the one who was in charge of taking Greece to its golden age in terms of culture as seen in the history of art and in the field of politics and due to this culture the origin of our current civilization.

A great splendor is observed in the history of art in various fields such as literature where Sophocles, Aeschylus and Euripides stand out. In addition, Phidias stood out in plastic art with Parthenon.

HISTORY OF ART

So its influence is observed to learn the great power of oratory from Socrates who was the teacher of Plato who later was the teacher of Socrates from where the thought of the Western world is observed.

Another of the strong foundations of Greece was the beginning of historiography as they are responsible for writing and narrating the historical actions by Herodotus who was a disciple of Socrates.

With regard to architecture as part of the history of art, it is aimed at the construction of temples and constructions of a civil nature, as is the case of the Greek theaters, the most important of all being the Epidaurus.

As for the stage known as Doric, its greatest representation is the temple made in honor of the deity Athena Parthenos in the Athenian capital, where the sculpture was made by Phidias himself in gold and ivory.

Who was also in charge of friezing the other statues that represented the birth of Athena and the fight of the centaurs. As for the so-called Ionic style, it is observed in the temple of Artemis in Ephesus.

It represents one of the seven wonders of the world of which there are still some ruins without forgetting the temple of Athena in the Athenian city.

With regard to the Corinthian style, it is where the use of stylized columns decorated with acanthus leaves is observed, an example of this is the Lantern of Lisícrates that originated in the year 335 before Christ, it is this style which will later be used by the culture Roman.

For the Greek sculpture it is known by the Roman culture because many of these statues were lost by the Christian vision with the intention of suppressing paganism.

Naturalism is evidenced in Greek art to take it to the political peak and allows perfectionism to transform the Hellenistic period, being the benchmark of the Western world. According to Greek culture, man is the center of everything, so the city should be around the people who are going to live there.

the roman culture

It received greater influence from Greek art due to the expansion of the Roman Empire, it reached most of the regions of the European continent as well as North Africa and the Near East.

HISTORY OF ART

With regard to the architecture of Roman art, according to the history of art, it was of a utilitarian type, so they were excellent engineers with regard to architecture in the civil sphere, such as the creation of bridges, aqueducts to be able to transport the Water element of great importance for societies.

They also created sanctuaries, palaces, theaters, amphitheaters, circuses, triumphal arches and baths for which they added to Greek architecture the use of vaults and arches as well as masonry, ashlar masonry and brick.

Being among his most impressive works the Colosseum, the Pantheon of Agrippa, the aqueduct of Segovia, the baths of Caracalla, the tower of Hercules, among others.

As far as the sculpture with respect to the Roman culture according to the history of the art was much more human they did not care to demonstrate the errors or defects that the Greek culture hid.

The portrait can be evidenced as a very popular genre in the Roman Empire that demonstrated a certain fidelity between the portrait and the person who had been drawn through the chiaroscuro technique.

HISTORY OF ART

In addition, the pupils stand out in his drawings and the most important are the portraits made of the emperors of the moment according to three versions, the first of them togata in the aspect of Patrick.

Thoracata as the emperor is seen as a great military man and strategist and Apotheosis as he was drawn as a deity for which the relief in his works was of the utmost importance in both religious and historical themes and among them is the Trajan's Column, Ara Pacis of Augustus and the Arch of Titus.

As for painting, according to archaeological findings, four styles are observed in Pompeii, one of them being inlay where something similar to a marble coating is made.

The other style is called Architectural, where simulations of architectures were carried out, then comes the ornamental style, where very illusory architectures where garlands and cupids were used, were evident.

Finally, the Fantastic, which was a mixture of the two previous styles, enigmatic landscapes were made with various architectural conventions and mythological elements.

In Roman culture, the mosaic was of great importance using geometric figures and it is observed in the sacrifice of Iphigenia in Ampurias, in addition, Roman literature was also influenced by Greek culture.

From it they took technique as well as a number of genres, their innovation being the style and from it descends the Christian culture and the one that will be observed in medieval culture since Latin is the language that will be spoken in many places on the European continent. They excelled in poetry, prose, oratory, and historiography.

However, Roman theater was also influenced by Greek art, although in the first instance it came from Etruscan shows where scenic art was mixed with melody and dance.

Then they used the vocalizations and the mimics creating the satires in terms of music, the same was used in the early Christian church.

medieval art

As for the history of art in this period, it is purely religious and its heritage comes from the Roman culture, so it joins the Christian religion in its primitive form in terms of the Romanesque and Gothic terms, you should know that they were given later and were not used at this time.

HISTORY OF ART

It corresponds to the period from the XNUMXth to the XNUMXth century after Christ, according to scholars, it has been divided into two Romanesque stages, which began in Western Europe, one of its qualities is the rural style, and it was carried out by the first Christians in Rome.

As for the Gothic originated in the cities and its name corresponds to its primitive quality in both periods the religious influence is observed in what corresponds to the goldsmith, sculpture, painting, mosaics, architecture and especially the frescoes.

The great richness of the history of art is evident in the different sanctuaries that were built in this period where artistic manifestations were a kind of intermediary between human beings and the spiritual world, for which offerings are made in the Christian faith.

According to the Romanesque Period, it is observed according to the investigations how the population, specifically the European one, expands and the church reaches its greatest height because it is the only organized institution.

And with hierarchy, therefore, they increase the expansion of constructions of religious centers since they expand the number of believers in addition to reforming the existing monasteries.

HISTORY OF ART

In the Gothic Period, the influence of the crusades carried out by Christians when facing Muslims and Saracens with the intention of expanding the Christian faith is observed, the construction of three large-scale temples in the history of art such as the abbey church is observed of Saint Dionysius by Abbot Suger.

The design of the Cathedral of Notre Dame in Paris and the Cathedral of Chartres, so the architecture in this period was of great importance, as can be seen in this interesting article.

In the first instance, Romanesque architecture is evident with the construction of sanctuaries, monasteries, churches of enormous proportions that will endure over time, one of its qualities was its great walls and its buttresses were known as Fortresses of God.

To make them much more striking, vaults and semicircles were used in addition to decoration with stones and towers were even implemented in addition to walls of large proportions and that had little opening.

With respect to the sculptures in this period, it is represented in the Bible, since most of the inhabitants of this time did not know how to read or write and the reference of the Stone Bible was used to publicize the events that were illustrated in the sacred book. through images made into sculptures.

So the figures lose their naturalness since according to the space where they would be placed they were elongated or dwarfed so a horse could be smaller than a man and due to this there was a lack of realism in the figures to be sculpted in addition to observing symmetry and rigidity in his works.

Romanesque painting has a Byzantine influence according to the history of art since Christ is placed in the main apse of the church or sanctuary and it is observed how the drawing with the contour of silhouettes predominates in addition to the use of colors without mixing in the plane.

There is no depth in the paintings of this period, in addition to not having volume, the religious theme is the main source of inspiration, showing great expressiveness in the large-scale images.

Regarding the architecture of the Gothic style, they were very tall buildings with a symbolic meaning and the best example of this are the cathedrals, for which they had to implement, according to the history of art, vaults where two arches crossed diagonally, an arch pointed and flying buttresses.

In addition to the liberation of walls to place stained glass windows in their place, expanding the light without forgetting the impressive sculptures where it is observed that realism prevails in his works.

The saints, angels and biblical figures show great naturalism in marble, stone, wood and ivory, showing great majesty in their carved or sculpted works.

The stained glass windows stand out in this period, as well as the frescoes and the panels that showed what happened in the sacred book, since the cult of God was the main virtue of Gothic painting.

One of the qualities of this period is to seek realism through expressions of emotion and a large number of colors are used to provide more light in the case of stained glass.

To favor the divine presence through the use of natural light through crystals full of beautiful images based on the Bible.

Well, both Gothic sculpture and painting demonstrate naturalism through details, allowing a greater reality to be observed thanks to the shading technique.

Art of the Modern Age

According to the history of art, the Modern Age corresponds to the period that corresponds to the end of the Middle Ages where revolutions arise, including political and economic ones, at the end of the XNUMXth century after Christ.

It is a moment in the history of art where philosophical transformations are observed as well as political ones that are born from Baroque and Renaissance art.

It is observed in this period the affirmation for the individual being and the human value is exposed with prominence in the artists of this period, not as in medieval art that lived in total anonymity.

In this period, according to the history of art, it is sought to recover beauty with regard to the Renaissance and in the Baroque, naturalism will be sought in its works.

It is imperative to point out that in the Modern Age symmetry is sought in the compositions to be made, just as proportions are a bastion of great importance in this period of time.

Although it is observed that religious temples continue to be built, they no longer have the proportions that characterized those of the Middle Ages and buildings for civil purposes such as palaces, hospitals and even town halls began to be built.

Here it is observed in this period of the history of art that the design to be carried out is conscious and to carry it out they must use the project with the intention of being able to represent with images the reality that they want to capture through perspective.

After the Renaissance where it was possible to recover the classical values ​​in the fourteenth century, two centuries pass and in the sixteenth century mannerism appears as a product of the exhaustion of classical forms among artists, for which this idea is transformed giving a change to another trend in the history of art known as Baroque.

Such is the emotion for this new art model that France transforms this art into a new one called Rococo and then in the XNUMXth century they return to the neo-Gothic styles that are no longer part of the Modern Age.

The period of the Modern Age in the history of art comprises from the fifteenth century to the eighteenth century and it is at this time that the values ​​of modern man are formulated.

It begins through the discoveries so an accommodation had to be made with regard to the economic relations of the world where control was obtained by Western civilization.

Therefore, there must be a historical narrative in the first instance and it is intended to displace the dogmatism of religious faith from the rational thought of the human being.

Here in this period of the history of art it is observed that the human being is the center of everything and the industrial revolution appears in the middle of the 1789th century as well as the French revolution in XNUMX where an environment is observed where illustration is emphasized. as a new movement of thought.

In addition, the motto of the French revolution emphasized the promulgation of the rights of man, for which a transformation in the political vision that until then had been observed, the French slogan being the following:

“…equality, fraternity and liberty…”

Due to them, values ​​were transformed in the Modern Age through the concept of the word progress, which led citizens to make discoveries in science, technology at the level of industries, having an impact on the economic aspect.

HISTORY OF ART

In the field of science

With respect to the scientific field, the discovery of being able to unveil the mysteries of nature in addition to being able to intervene and achieve other results according to the interest of man is observed in this period.

Among them, the roundness of the planet Earth is observed with great avidity thanks to the heliocentric theory of Copernicus as well as the description of the elliptical orbits of the other planets according to Kepler, among other data of scientific interest.

Such was his astonishment at the scientific revolution that resulted in persecution by the church of those who were classified as heretics for not understanding the new changes that originate through the surprising world of science.

According to the political vision

Thanks to the period of the Modern Age in history, art had an impact on the political vision, since the authoritarian monarchies as well as the parliamentary ones and those that obey principalities and transformed into another new modality according to the historical actions that they faced in those countries.

Well, models such as absolutism were created, others such as enlightened despotism and even republics according to the period of the Modern Age until the concept of a National State was reached, where there is a separation of public powers within itself.

Regarding the economic nature

It is in the Modern Age where the transformation of the feudal scheme that was typical of the Medieval Age is observed through the history of art, transforming into the birth of the Bourgeoisie. As well as pro-capitalism, mercantilism and capitalism thanks to the era of industrialization.

So in the Modern Age it is observed through the history of art that the artist is a genius and not a craftsman giving rise to neoclassicism and romanticism without forgetting philosophy such as rationalism where Descartes, Malebranche, Spinoza.

Then empiricism is observed where its main representatives are Hume and Berkeley, in addition to the Enlightenment, Voltaire, Rousseau, Diderot and Kant criticism stand out.

Contemporary art

It corresponds to the set of artistic expressions from the XNUMXth century to the XNUMXth century and the term contemporary to the historical period that corresponds to its contemporaries, for example Leonardo Da Vinci was contemporary for those who lived in the XNUMXth century.

Therefore, one of the criteria to be used to be able to use the term contemporary is from the French Revolution that began in 1789 and ended in 1799. Therefore, Contemporary Art begins with romanticism where the individual freedom, feelings and subjectivity.

The term contemporary art shows that it encompasses beyond what we know as time and breaks with the artistic unity previously known in the history of art due to the historical and social context in which the artist operates.

It is in this period that absolutist governments are put to an end and democratic governments are welcomed.

With respect to architecture, in this period of the history of art, new urban complexes were developed where sanitation and a more comfortable life for human beings are interested, as well as the creation of new means of transport and the opening of green spaces so that the population values ​​free space.

Romanticism

It was a renewal in all genres of art history, since special attention was devoted to spirituality, nature, and imagination, for which popular culture was valued. Now the knowledge of the people becomes more important in addition to landscape paintings and woodcuts.

In painting, images alluding to freedom guiding the people were used, which are currently in the Louvre Museum, and in terms of sculpture, it is observed that neoclassical forms derived from romanticism began to prevail in this period.

Regarding literature, he established that art comes from the individual who is above all a genius and expresses his emotions through writing where passion and drama predominate as in the plays and music of the moment and even developed remarkably the opera.

Realism

Art is awakened by observing the reality of the peasant in the face of the industrial era. This period is a social denunciation, as can be seen in the history of art. An example of this is the Angelus, which is a painting that is currently in the Musée d'Orsay in the city of Paris.

The sculptures are also characterized by workers and peasants, in addition, the life of the marginalized is highlighted and in literature it moves away from the imaginary world of romanticism to emphasize the detailed reality with great rigor.

The format with which this movement was represented was the written novel where the events were narrated from the point of view of the reality of the characters.

With regard to the theater, it is at this time thanks to the electric light that the characters in the theater were illuminated and the spectators were left in the dark, as evidenced in the history of art.

As for music, the national folklore of each nation was revalued and they also appear in many nations as public schools so that people have access to education.

Through the ballet, it was possible to tell the story to the spectators where up to five acts were used so that the spectator could enjoy the music and the classical dance, an example of which was Sleeping Beauty in 1889.

Impressionism

It was another innovative movement that broke with the previous scheme in the history of art, it was inspired by nature and it is observed in the paintings the use of varied colors where the light is emphasized, the first bohemian paintings appear.

From there he left for neo-impressionism where the emphasis is on optical phenomena. One of the techniques of this period in the history of art is pointillism, the divisionism that later influenced Italian futurism.

After this movement, post-impressionism originates where they made new discoveries in terms of techniques to develop painting where circus and cabaret scenes are observed in addition to using geometric figures as is the case of Paul Cezanne.

Van Gogh who made paintings with strong drama that distorted reality. As far as music is concerned, a change is observed, as harmony stands out over melody.

In the paintings, color prevails over lines, allowing the viewer to reconstruct a musical composition through the harmony of sounds.

Symbolism

It is the counterpart of the natural and emphasis is placed on the world of dreams where magic and fears are observed, reaching perversion, so beauty in this style is the ultimate goal that the artist wishes to acquire and it is his own life. a work of art.

Symbolic literature was surrounded by aestheticism seeking an interest in the morbid and dark as paranormal situations where black magic exists

Modernism

One of its main schools was in Catalonia, inspired by natural but gloomy environments, it was framed in design and illustration, innovating with poster design as a new genre of painting in the history of art, giving rise to the advertising medium.

Therefore, it was innovated with the adaptation of the artisans to later learn to carry out serial productions, stipulating in their thinking that art should be beautiful and useful for the population.

As for literature, a very aesthetic language is observed with great wealth in formal language as well as being adorned by symbols.

Photography

It is in the XNUMXth century that the black magic box appears that allows capturing images and photography appears that is glimpsed in that period of art history as an artistic manifestation through the ingenuity and creativity of the artist to create an image full of perception and design. .

Photography became popular and today it is something so daily for the majority of the population. At that time, photo studios were created where portraits were made, and photomechanics were also created.

Illustrated publications began to be made, in addition, documentary photography was created and it was possible to capture through photography the warlike confrontations such as the Crimean War and the American Civil War to be photographed with this new technological instrument.

XNUMXth century art

Regarding the current art of the XNUMXth century, it is designed to seek new stimuli in the viewer or user, so the artist uses any type of material, whether technological, electronic, matter or reproduction in the area of ​​mechanics, to create his works. works can even merge artistic styles.

Therefore, at this moment in the XNUMXth century, traditional standards are being broken, criticism and experimentation are used in the artistic world, as can be seen in the history of art.

Artistic movements of great relevance are evident, such as Dadaism, Fauvism, Expressionism, Cubism, Futurism, Neoplasticism and Surrealism.

Therefore, the beginning of what is known as postmodernity is taken as a starting point, locating it between the end of the sixties or the end of World War II in 1945.

So one of the characteristics of this period is the second wave of avant-garde in regard to the history of art where pop art, the second French realism, conceptual art, without forgetting minimalism and abstract expressionism.

In addition, hyperrealism, neo-configuration and urban art stand out in this period, explaining that it is a reflection of society according to the cultural consciousness of the here and now according to the interest of the human being. An art researcher Jacob Burckhardt conceives of art history as:

“…As a link in the history of culture… the art of each period is the most complete expression of the spirit in which it is produced, not alien to religion, the state or the interests of capital…”

"...everything influences its manifestations, thus being co-responsible for the evolution of history..."

The art of the XNUMXth century is a reflection of what today's society feels, which is why it is very diverse according to the interests, conflicts, realities that each artist lives, breaking with traditional paradigms.

avant-garde

Here scientific, technological and psychological theories come into focus with the world of art history and it is at this point in time that the European continent.

Its artists can get to know the art of the ethnic groups of other civilizations from where they took new ideas to express themselves. Which achieved a large number of movements in recent years as well as transformations of the artists.

Fauvism

It was the first avant-garde movement of the XNUMXth century, experimenting with colors subjectively in paintings made where they represented nature.

Expressionism

This movement emerged as a counterpart to impressionism, one of its qualities is personality and intuitive according to the internal vision of the artist, which is the expression according to the impression of reality through what is reflected in the paintings. An example of this is Frida Khalo.

Cubism

In this movement, according to the history of art, reality is deformed through the perspective of space that is a product of the Renaissance era and a geometric plot is originated to observe several objects on the same plane.

With this artistic movement, the paradigm of what was seen before is broken, the predominant colors are opaque and belong to the range of cold ones, collage was also added, its maximum representative was Picasso.

Futurism

This movement according to the history of art was born in Italy and, unlike others, presents a manifesto that was written by Filippo Tommaso Marinetti, here the values ​​of progress and technology were proclaimed through action, which is why it is an idealistic conception and it denoted the interrelation between various disciplines.

There are many more characteristics of the history of art in the XNUMXth century, so I invite you to continue reading so you can find out about this interesting topic that coined so many artistic movements.

Latest trends in this period of art history

So here, painting, sculpture, and architecture are added to other disciplines, such as technology in favor of art history, such as video, illustration, collage, digital photography, among others, achieving an abstract vision of contents.

Representatives of this dynamic period in the history of art include Jeff Koons, Ai Weiwei, Yayoi Kusama, Yoko Ono, Damien Hirst, Dalí, Theaster Gates, Picasso, Andy Warhol, Van Gogh and Marcel Duchamp.

Many researchers comment that it is still art, perhaps it is not the most beautiful as in previous periods, as demonstrated in the history of art, since artistic manifestations are a form of universal language, which is why it is transformed according to the needs of man.

It is an abstract art that on many occasions strikes the user's sight and even confuses the other senses, which is why the artist manipulates through his new way of revolutionizing the aspect of painting.

Art as such is free and today we see a large number of works that there are few museums to house them, although there are artists who want to implement their new styles, they find that the opportunities are somewhat closed.

Well, globalization has allowed to know expressions of various kinds such as the African, the Asian through new languages ​​that reflect new fusions as well as technological and artistic symbioses.

Where a large number of works are observed but they do not have an order as other periods of art history have shown, so the genius disappears.

In addition, the use of new materials for the creation of artistic works is observed through technological and industrial techniques and even the merging of diverse artistic currents that were previously unique in the history of art with the intention of seeking originality in this new concept of art. .

Well, in the art of the XNUMXth century, the transformation of society in a materialistic way is evident, therefore its interest is to consume, so the history of art is focused on the senses, on perception and not on the intellect.

Everything is distributed according to what society uses at a given moment, specifying itself in a model to be used. Due to the interaction of communication through the use of technology, the avant-garde emerges as a movement that allows art to be integrated into consumer society.

So that there is an interaction between the artist and the spectator who is the one who, according to his perception, understands and interprets the work carried out.

Obtaining a meaning that perhaps the artist who created it does not know, since it is emphasized in an active art, since it allows action in its creation, since it has some utility for the spectator.

Conclusion

As you can see, the large number of artistic movements or manifestations that exist today is very broad thanks to the globalization of art through the multiple media that today allow you not only to see but to listen and even interact with art. .

The manifestations that have occurred are multiple, not only in painting but also in literature, in plays and dances, in addition to the large number of gold and ceramics that can be found, each with its beauty that makes it unique and singular. .

There are still movements to discover and civilizations to continue studying according to the thousands of archaeological centers that allow us to learn about our ancestors and the way in which they expressed themselves through the history of art.

Without forgetting the music, dance, photography, cinema, comics and ephemeral art related to fashion that is so changeable from there it owes its name because according to the theme that is taken there will be a boom then it will decline starting to another fashion for the consumption of today's society.

It should be noted that another ephemeral art in the history of art corresponds to fireworks as well as perfumes, haircuts, hairstyles and even some dish that belongs to a certain gastronomy or sweet so you evoke in your mind some memories related to this ephemeral art movement.

So as long as man exists, new forms of art will be observed that will allow the modernity of society to be manifested through the history of art to interact with this modality through everyday life.

If you found this article interesting, I invite you to visit the following links:


Be the first to comment

Leave a Comment

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked with *

*

*

  1. Responsible for the data: Actualidad Blog
  2. Purpose of the data: Control SPAM, comment management.
  3. Legitimation: Your consent
  4. Communication of the data: The data will not be communicated to third parties except by legal obligation.
  5. Data storage: Database hosted by Occentus Networks (EU)
  6. Rights: At any time you can limit, recover and delete your information.