A Guide to the Most Significant Art Movements of the Past 500 Years
Renaissance
The Renaissance (meaning rebirth) was a cultural movement that started in Italy in the fourteenth century, and spread throughout Europe. In art, the style of painting became highly realistic, and attempted to mimic nature as closely as possible.
- What to look for: a rich three-dimensional perspective, human subjects in proportion (usually wearing robes and making grand gestures), and convincing representation of spaces.
Baroque
The term Baroque is often applied to art of the whole of the seventeenth century, and first half of the eighteenth century. Painters expanded on the naturalistic tradition established during the Renaissance, and extended their subjects to include landscapes, and still life. Baroque painters often set their subjects in vast landscapes, or interiors with extended views through doors, windows, or mirrors.
- What to look for: melodramatic spaces, fat cherubs, light rays and fruit bowls.
Rococo
Rococo was a decorative art that originated in France in the early eighteenth century and is marked by elaborate ornamentation, with a profusion of scrolls, foliage, and shell-like forms.
- What to look for: paintings of the aristocracy at play, asymmetry to composition, many small-scale ornamental details, and pastel colours.
Neo-Classicism
During the Neoclassical period (mid eighteenth century), the work of the Greeks and Romans (pre- Renaissance) became popular again, and paintings depicted historical subjects.
- What to look for: paintings with sharp outlines, cool colours, armour, spears and sandals.
Romanticism
Romanticism is assumed to be in opposition to Neoclassicism, and the term used to refer loosely to a trend in art of the late eighteenth and early nineteenth centuries. It was characterized by the avoidance of classical forms and rules, emphasis on the emotional and spiritual, nostalgia for the grace of past ages, and a fondness for exotic themes.
- What to look for: complex compositions, intense colour, soft outlines and heroic or scantly clad subjects.
Realism (1850 – 1880)
Realism came about in France during the Industrial Revolution. Realist Artists attempted to create objective, accurate, detailed, and unembellished representations of the external world based on the impartial observation of contemporary life. The name Realist refers to their subject matter; humble citizens doing everyday work and previously considered unworthy of representation in high art, rather than mythical heroes, Biblical or classical subjects, and portraits of the rich.
- What to look for: paintings of poor people working.
Pre-Raphaelites (1848)
The Pre-Raphaelite Brotherhood were a group of young English artists who rebelled against the style of the day that was being taught at the Royal Academy and other art schools. They felt the art was dark and muddy in colour, and the subject matter artificial. They admired the work of the artists of the fifteenth century, and their name, the Pre-Raphaelite Brotherhood, honoured the depiction of nature in Italian art before “Raphael”. Pre-Raphaelite artists believed art should have a serious, moral purpose and often filled their work with symbols suggesting deeper meaning. Most of all, they believed in artistic excellence. To give their paintings a lighter, fresher look, they used bright colours and painted on a white canvas, rather than a brown one. While the Pre-Raphaelite Brotherhood lasted less than ten years as a group, other artists carried on with the style, which became broader and more muted in colour.
- What to look for: subjects taken from the Bible, Shakespeare and the legend of King Arthur. Paintings exhibit meticulous detail, intense colours, tight handling of paint and complex compositions. Many works are highly realistic.
Impressionism (1860 – 1900)
The Impressionists were a group of French artists discontent with academic teaching, and who shared approaches, and techniques. They abandoned traditional formal compositions in favour of a more casual and less contrived arrangement of objects within a picture. The identifying feature of their work was an attempt to record a scene accurately, but without the use of traditional muted browns, greys, and greens in favour of a lighter, more brilliant palette. They stopped using greys and blacks for shadows, and used short (visible) brush strokes to produce flecks of unblended pure colours. They cast off literary and anecdotal subjects in favour of candid portrayals of ordinary people (doing regular things in everyday locations), landscapes, and architecture. Indeed, they rejected the role of imagination in the creation of works of art. Their name derives from a criticism of the first “impressionistic” work publicly displayed.
- What to look for: paintings look normal from far away, but close up they are a bit of a mess. Also look for the same the same image painted two or more times under different lighting conditions.
Post-Impressionism (1860 – 1905)
Post-Impressionist were not a cohesive movement, and the style of individual artists vary. Post-Impressionism was simultaneously an extension of Impressionism, and a rejection of its concern for the naturalistic depiction of light and colour in favour of an emphasis on abstract qualities or symbolic content. Post-Impressionists continued using vivid colours (e.g. Cézanne painted red grass), thick application of paint, and distinctive and visible brushstrokes.
- What to look for: You see paint first, and the image second.
Abstraction
Abstraction is a generic term for art that does not represent recognizable objects. Abstractionist abandoned art as the imitation of nature in favour of imagery from the imagination and the unconscious. Abstraction comprised a number of different movements, such as Fauvism, Cubism, Futurism, Dada, Surrealism, and Expressionism.
- Fauvism (1905 to 1907), as a movement, had no concrete theories. The name derives from the judgment of a critic who referred to the artists disparagingly as “les fauves” (wild beasts). Fauvist artwork is characterized by distorted forms, bold and vivid colours, often applied unmixed, and a spontaneity and roughness of execution. Fauvism was short lived, and most practitioners became Cubists.
What to look for: You may say to yourself, “I could do that.”
- Cubism (1907 to 1914) retreated from traditional perspective in favour of geometric forms. It attempted to achieve the illusion of three-dimensional forms in a different way by showing many aspects of familiar objects all at once from many vantage points to create new combinations.
What to look for: You may ask yourself, “What is it?”
- Futurism(1909) was an Italian movement with the intention to reject tradition ideals, and celebrate the aesthetic generated by the speed and power of the machine, and the energy and restlessness of modern life. Futurists adopted the Cubist technique of depicting several views of an object simultaneously with fragmented planes, and used rhythmic spatial repetitions of the object’s outlines in transit to render movement. Their preferred subjects were machines, and urban crowds. Their palette was more vibrant than the Cubists’.
What to look for: You may ask yourself, “What is it?”
- Dada (1916–1923) was initially a Swiss movement who channelled their revulsion at World War I into an indictment of the values that had brought it about. They were united not by a common style, but a rejection of conventions in art. Through unorthodox techniques, they sought to shock society into self-awareness. The name Dada itself was typical of the movement’s anti-rationalism. Various members of the group are credited with selecting the name for its childish and nonsensical connotations.
What to look for: You could be forgiven for not recognising a Dada exhibit as art (e.g. Duchamp “improved” the Mona Lisa by drawing a moustache on her).
- Surrealism (1924) flourished in Europe between World Wars I and II, and grew principally out of the earlier Dada movement, and was similarly a reaction against the “rationalism”. It attempted to join fantasy and everyday reality to form a new reality, and drew on the theories of Sigmund Freud, that the unconscious was the source of the imagination. Many different forms of Surrealism developed, including the realistically painted images of Salvador Dalí.
What to look for: something that simultaneously looks real, and unreal.
- Expressionism: was an art movement of the early twentieth century in which traditional adherence to realism and proportion was replaced completely by distorted colour and form to emphasize and express the intense emotion of the artist.
What to look for: dribbling, drippy paint splattered on the canvas.
John Burton
What colleges aren’t art schools, but have a reputation as ‘artsy’?
I’m looking into colleges now and i’m stumped as where to find an ‘artsy’ school that isn’t an art school. I’m still between psychology and art/photography as a major so i want a school with an artsy feel on campus and a good art program, but a good psych program as well. This has posed as quite difficult. If anyone has any suggestions i would love to hear them. (Oh and i’m looking in the northeast/mid-atlantic areas.) Thanks a lot!
Middlebury, Holy Cross, Bowdoin
what are the top art schools in the united states?
I know one in Florida, Ringling School of Art and Design. And I really want to go to that, but in case i dont make it i need to figure out some other colleges to apply to. ((im only 15 almost 16 but im looking ahead)) So I was wondering if you could help me and tell me what are the top ten art schools in the united states that i could possibly get in to?
*Maryland Institute College of Art, Baltimore, Maryland*
(oldest art school in America.. my sister went there and is a good school, however living in Baltimore is not for everyone.)
*Rhode Island School of Design, Providence, Rhode Island*
*Cleveland Institute of Art, Cleveland, Ohio*
*Kansas City Art Institute, Kansas City, Missouri*
*School of the Art Institute of Chicago, Chicago, Illinois*
(i have friends that go here and have really enjoyed it and Chicago is an exciting city to explore.)
*Otis College of Art and Design, Los Angeles, California*
*California College of the Arts, San Francisco, California*
*Tyler School of Art, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania*
*Corcoran College of Art and Design, Washington DC*
*Pratt Institute, Brooklyn, New York*
i am starting at PNCA (pacific northwest college of the art) in the fall.
it is most important to find the best fit for you.I went to pre-college at PNCA and that is how i decided to go here.
Pre-college is a month long intensive where you get a taste of what going to college at that school would be like.
Many art colleges have them and you should consider doing it for one or more of the colleges you are interested in. They have information on their websites.
What are the fine differences between art schools and universities with a good art program?
I have researched quite a bit on the topic and the curriculum requirements are very similar. Other than the obvious such as the size of the student body etc., what are the finer differences between an art school such as RISD and a university like NYU with a renowned art program? (And I am talking visual arts.) I love art but I don’t know if a small, specialized art college is right for me. Anyone have some information regarding this?
For both undergrad and grad school, RISD is considered the best art school in the nation and one of the best in the world. It’s heavily focused on fine arts and design, although they do have other departments like liberal arts, maths and sciences (some majors are very math and science focused, like architecture and industrial design). They are located right next to Brown University (an ivy) and RISD students get to take classes there too. RISD takes an almost bauhaus approach to arts and design – not in style, but in educational technique: lots of time in studio and workshop, with some theory thrown in and in-class instructional time as well. Students really need to be devoted to go to RISD. Their freshman foundation year is considered the most challenging 1st year at any college (whether art school or big university) in the US.
NYU’s Institute of Fine Arts program is only for graduate students (they offer an MA and a PhD). The Steinhardt School at NYU has studio arts BFA program for undergrads. It’s not as famous as RISD’s program, but NYU has the advantage of being in a big city, and you have access to classes in the other schools of NYU. Their program emphasizes concurrent enrollment in the liberal arts, bringing theory in to your practice.
If you can arrange visits at both schools, I’m sure you will notice the differences. One striking difference is space – New York is very crowded, while Providence is not. As a result, RISD students have the advantage of lots of studio space. But NYU students have the advantage of a busy city. That’s not to say you need to be in NYC to "make it" in art. Because RISD (and other smaller, specialized schools) are so small and focused on their art programs, there are lots of opportunities to show your work and connect with professionals through the school. NYC and NYU can be a struggle for attention.
You should talk to the students directly too. They’ll probably be the most helpful in making a decision.
What are some good Art Schools in California, or on the West Coast?
I live on the East Coast and am thinking about taking a semester and attending an Art School on the west coast. California has always been a place I’ve wanted to visit and I’m pretty sure there must be some reputable schools. I was wondering if anyone knew any good art schools, possible by the coast? If not California then a state on the West Coast atleast.
I’m majoring in Illustration (If that makes a difference)
I am currently attending Massachusetts College of Art. I am a Sophomore but I want to go to the West Coast for a semester during my Junior year.
Hey,
Illustration is a great major, good luck! Anyway, if you’re looking for Illustration schools on the west coast, I’ve got some for you.
California:
http://www.allartschools.com/find/results.php?program=illustration-degree-programs&st=CA&submit=Find+a+School
Oregon:
http://www.allartschools.com/find/results.php?program=illustration-degree-programs&st=OR&submit=Find+a+School
Washington:
http://www.allartschools.com/find/results.php?program=illustration-degree-programs&st=WA&submit=Find+a+School
I hope this helps!
Derek
[AAS]
Mike Huckabee: Art and music education
Republican presidential candidate and former Arkansas governor Mike Huckabee met with The Des Moines Register’s editorial board Friday, April 13. Huckabee says the “dumbest” thing schools have done over the years is to cut art and music programs. He describes them as essential to preparing creative and competitive students.
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Standardized Final Exams for Arizona Schools — Better for the Students or Just Another Measurement for the State?
There is currently a bill in the Arizona state legislature, proposing that the state create standardized final exams for specific core high school courses within the Arizona schools. The bill was introduced by the Senate Education Committee Chairman and has the support of many key educational figures.
Arizona schools chief Tom Horne supports the bill, as does several educational researchers. Paul Koehler, director of WestEd (a nonprofit research agency) also lends support, stating that state standardized final exams gives the state and Arizona schools a “broader and more logical profile” of Arizona schools students’ performance.
Along with high school core courses, art and music also would receive the Arizona schools’ standardized final exams; and grades three, six and seven would receive state-designed final exams in social studies.
Each district within the Arizona schools could choose to administer only the state final exams or in addition to their own exams.
The idea of standardized end-of-course exams comes from the Advanced Placement courses that allow Arizona schools’ students to earn college credits while in high school. Other states already successfully use the state standardized final exam system. New York gives special diplomas to their students who successfully pass the state standardized end-of-course exams.
Consistency and Accountability
State standardized testing for the Arizona schools is believed to ensure consistency in teaching across the state. The Arizona schools can, at the state level, determine if individual schools are offering the same quality teaching and learning as schools in other areas of the state. Arizona State University professor Thomas Haladyna believes the state-design and mandated final exams will allow the Arizona schools to determine if children are receiving a good education, eliminating the haphazard teaching that occurs in the schools today and instituting a more systematic approach to teaching.
Enough Is Enough
Currently, the teachers or districts design final exams for all coursework. The Mesa school system is the largest district in the Arizona schools. They already use district-wide final exams that are created by district teachers, who meet to design the end-of-course exams. Their testing director Joe O’Reilly voiced concerns that the district will lose the local involvement they currently have with state-mandated and designed final exams. He questions the lose of immediacy that the district now has, where exams are given, graded and returned the next day. Besides losing more control to the state, O’Reilly cannot understand how a multiple-choice test can measure student performance in music, painting, or in a chemistry lab.
Arizona schools’ parents already complain to school administrators of the amount of homework their children receive in reading, writing and math classes. They continually question whether the overload of work is to help their children learn or to raise the schools’ test scores on the Arizona Instrument to Measure Standards (AIMS) exam, securing more funding for the schools.
Arizona schools parents have a right to be concerned, since the proposed final exams will not be used to determine student promotion to the next grade or whether a child graduates high school or not. The Arizona schools’ standardized state final exams only determine the rating of each school’s performance and will be used along with AIMS test scores and other factors, such as graduation and student attendance rates.
Patricia Hawke
http://www.articlesbase.com/k-12-education-articles/standardized-final-exams-for-arizona-schools-better-for-the-students-or-just-another-measurement-for-the-state-102414.html
What impresses art schools in a sketchbook?
I am currently working on my latest sketchbook, filling it up etc. I’m a Sophmore in a technical high school for Commercial Art and I’m starting to think about art college etc. I already have a portfolio started, but my technical teacher mentioned something about sketchbooks. What really impresses art colleges in a sketchbook? What sort of drawings really impress?
I’m looking for actual input. Themes, mediums, etc. I realize that art schools are looking for talent and creativity.
It really depends on the specific art school. Schools that stress "fine art" (like Maryland Institute College of Art in Baltimore, where my sister went) want to see that you can handle a variety of media: watercolor, pencil, marker, etc. and can take advantage of what those media can do in order to create a specific effect. Typically they also want to know you have the power of observation and can translate your observations to the sketchbook (specifically, the human body–hands, faces, etc). Schools that stress more commercial art–illustration, graphic design, etc.–want to see that you can follow instructions and produce something clean that communicates clearly.
Where can I find a list of art schools?
I’m planning on transferring to a private art school anywhere in the U.S or Canada for my last year of high school. Is there a website that has a list of art schools that I can look at?
ask your current school, they will know
Mike Huckabee on Education, Music and the Arts
Mike Huckabee’s life-long commitment to music and arts education was on full display with his passionate response to an education question during a recent debate.
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