Art History

Without art, we'd be wandering nomads in a desert, with no creativity, no intelligent conversation and no soul. Art brought up a whirlwind of ideas and shaped cultures and brought life to the mundane. Emerging as a distinct discipline in the humanities in the late 19th century, the study of art history involves techniques for understanding style by comparing works of different periods and noting their differences. The study of art history is focused primarily on the "fine arts" of painting, sculpting, architecture, and related fields. Generally, Western art is interpreted through the four basic categories of ancient, medieval, Renaissance, and modern art. Although previously using the classical art of Greece as a positive standard, art historians now take a neutral approach to evaluating individual works, deeming all worthy of study. Learn about how art shaped centuries to define our own, and how the famous painters who were born with this talent of awe, came forth with such works of art.
  • The Concept of Minimalist Art
    Impact. The level of the word describes the level at which an artwork is at. And it is what minimalist art hopes to achieve through the simplest means possible. What rose as a rebuttal to the Abstract Expressionism art at the time, the Minimalistic Art Movement has changed the way most artists will see the canvas before them.
  • Surrealism Art
    Premonitory Portrait of Guillaume Apollinaire, The Persistence of Memory; these are just some of the most important works of Surrealism art. In this article, we tell you more about this movement in the world of art.
  • Counter Reformation Art
    In the following article, artwork and artists from the Counter Reformation period have been discussed. To know more about Counter Reformation period and the reasons that generated such splendid art work, read on.
  • Neolithic Art
    Neolithic art, considered one of the most interesting attribute of the Neolithic period, gives us a glimpse of the fascinating period of human evolution that it was.
  • Realism and Realistic Art
    How did the concept of Realism and Realistic art originate? What is meant by Realistic art? Go through this article to find out more about characteristics of this school of art.
  • Historical Periods in Literature
    There are many different historical periods in literature and each of them have their own unique features. These periods have evolved over time, and are an accurate reflection of the state of society at the corresponding time.
  • Trippy Art
    Different aspects of trippy art including the basic idea behind their creation and the experimentation being carried out is presented in the article. The trippy artworks are aimed at presenting the feeling, emotions or complexities of the mind in the best possible form.
  • Characteristics of Cubism
    A style that stands apart on its own, cubism can be easily distinguished from other works of art. Read on to know more about characteristics of cubism.
  • 5 Facts on Aboriginal Art
    Aboriginal art is an ancient art form. It is also one of the oldest surviving art forms in the world. Aboriginal art uses symbols and signs to narrate the origin of the universe and other mythological tales. This article takes a look at 5 facts on Aboriginal Art.
  • Difference between Modernism and Postmodernism
    The Modernism of the late 1800s was followed by postmodernism after the Second World War. What characterized these movements? What is the difference between modernism and postmodernism? To know it all, read on...
  • Famous Painters
    Art was depicted through various styles and forms since the ancient days. Here is a look at some famous painters who set trends and created a phenomenon in the world of art.
  • History of Impressionism
    Impressionism was an art movement that led to a major transform in the world of art. Know more about the history of Impressionism.
  • Famous Hispanic Painters
    Here is a list of some of the very famous Hispanic painters. Read on to find more about their life and work.
  • Isadora Duncan
    Isadora Duncan was a pioneering spirit of what later came to be known as Modern Dance. Here is a brief glimpse into her unique dancing style, unconventional life and ideas.
  • William Porter and short stories
    America's favorite short story writer, William Porter has enchanted millions with his stories. This article introduces us in his very eventful life - unfortunately sad events - and offers a vivid example of the way he charmed Americans using the unexpected endings to his stories.
  • Gargoyles - Demonic Church Sentries
    Gargoyles are the creatures of nightmares, yet they have been guarding the outer side of religious buildings for centuries. Where did they come from, and why were they put there?
  • Britain - Culture Of Sport And The Arts
    Did you know that the first country who organized sports at a national level is Britain? Although art might not have been their strongest point, they have things to be proud of nowadays.
  • Lewis Caroll - The Man who wrote 'Alice in Wonderland'
    The truth is not always stranger than fiction, you know, sometimes it can be a lot simpler too.
  • Desiderius Erasmus
    He was never a bookish, strait-laced scholar. But he was still able to carve a name for himself as one of the greatest humanists of all time. Read more about this legendary scholar.
  • The Art of Giovanni Bellini
    One of the interesting things about Giovanni Bellini is that he kept learning and improving well into his eighties. Read on to know about this legendary painter.
  • Giovanni Bellini - Venetian Painter
    Two of Bellini's pupils went on to be great artists in their own right - Giorgione and Titian - and quite transformed Venetian painting.
  • Jan Van Eyck - Master of Realism
    In those times, like now, being an artist required you to be competent on several other levels as well.
  • L.S. Lowry - British Painter
    He used to carry along a sketchbook on his work rounds and every time something interesting caught his eye, he would stop and make a quick sketch.
  • Dante Alighieri - Florentine Writer
    Dante called for the Pope to reign only as 'lord spiritual' and keep out of earthly intrigues - and so the Pope saw to it at once that 'De Monarchia' was put on the Vatican's list of banned books.
  • Virgil - Roman Poet
    Virgil remains the foremost of Latin poets to this day and his works continue to be studied as part of Latin curriculum in schools and Universities.
  • Fra Angelico - Painter of the Early Renaissance
    One of the most important painters of the Early Renaissance, Fra Angelico was a contemporary of Masaccio.
  • John Constable - English Landscape Painter
    Constable had a stubbornly honest streak, combined with a strong self-belief, that kept him painting landscapes, regardless of public acknowledgment.
  • Richard Wilson - English Landscape Painter
    There is a famous story about him telling King George III that it would be quite okay for His Majesty to pay in weekly installments when the King thought that 100 guineas per painting was just too bloody much.
  • Gothic Art and Abbe Suger
    Abbot Suger's idea of 'lux continua' transformed the dark, solemn churches of Romanesque tradition into magnificent halls of spiritual and actual radiance.
  • Andreas Mantegna - Painter of the Italian Renaissance
    Mantegna preferred studying classical statues to observing from nature. Some of his contemporaries thought this gave his work a rather sculptural, lifeless appearance.
  • Albrecht Dürer - German Painter and Engraver
    Dürer's beautifully detailed landscapes already show a keen interest and observation of nature. He was the first European artist to draw a Walrus.
  • Hieronymus Bosch - Painter of the Grotesque
    No one before had shown in such fine detail the bestial horrors that awaited those that sinned, and it is a peculiarly human trait to include our neighbor rather than ourselves in the sinning fraternity.
  • Georges-Pierre Seurat
    Scientific precision and logical method, not instinct, appealed to Seurat. All his paintings were carefully mapped out beforehand. Let us know more about this legend.
  • Wu Tao-tzu - Tang Dynasty Painter
    Wu Tao-tzu was a person who made up his own rules to a large extent and marched to his own drum-beat.
  • Johann Pachelbel - Baroque Composer
    Johann Pachelbel was a famous German composer of the Baroque Age. He came from a poor background and made his way up by sheer dint of hard work and talent.
  • English Poets - Philip Larkin
    Philip Larkin was one of the leading English poets of the 'Movement', a modernist literary trend that was influenced to a certain extent by the symbolist writing of W. B. Yeats.
  • English Poets - Samuel Taylor Coleridge
    When he wasn't soaking in the sun and trying to control his drug addiction, he did a dubious former-day representation of James Bond in His Majesty's Secret Service.
  • Siegfried Sassoon - War Poet
    Siegfried Sassoon is known primarily for his stirring anti-war poems and his beautifully-worded 'Declaration Against War'.
  • Edgar Degas - Life and Art
    "No art is less spontaneous than mine," the French Painter Edgar Degas once said. "What I do is the result of reflection and the study of the great masters."
  • On Surrealism and Dali
    The Surrealists didn't want to be loved, you know, they were trying to bring out and air all their irrational inner torments and sadistic feelings.
  • Famous Art Heists
    No longer is Art Theft a refined craft of niminy-piminy alarm evasion, but more and more a matter of going in with all the guns blazing. Oh, well, who said these modern times were easy?
  • On M.F. Husain and Art
    Just remember Dr. Samuel Johnson's maxim about only an idiot writing for anything but money - now I don't mean to sound like a philistine here, but this maxim applies in a smaller or greater degree to artists as well.
  • The Neo-Classic Creed
    There is no doubt that the Neo-classicists came up with some very interesting and beautiful works and the Art World is richer for them, but Salvador Dali and I would have both wilted in the atmosphere.
  • James McNeil Whistler
    He had seized upon the idea of making an art of cultivating himself and so had become even more markedly eccentric. So much so that Degas, who could be pretty acerbic when he chose, said to him, "Visslair, you behave as though you had no talent."
  • Amedeo Modigliani
    When he forgot to keep up appearances, he could be a charming, soft-spoken, and very attractive man, who was popular with the ladies and could converse intelligently on a variety of topics.
  • Salvador Dali - On a Surrealist Canvas
    The year 2004 is the centenary year of the birth of Salvador Dali, the painter, sculptor and screenwriter. This article aims to paint a brief chronological biography of the artist on his centenary year.
  • Advancement of Arts During the High Renaissance
    During the High Renaissance, artists went away from Medieval and Early renaissance traditions, becoming more independent and taking on new influences like humanist philosophies, science not to mention mathematics. These developing techniques allowed artist of this era create art and music that was less chaotic. It was considered a new beginning, a time for rebirth of the classic traditions.